Using Arts to Build Communities Where Everyone Belongs

The Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley uses arts and culture to help create communities where everyone feels like they belong. Their Arts & Cultural Strategy helps people understand that culture includes values, traditions, ways of relating, and lived experiences. They believe that when communities targeted by discrimination lead cultural activities, it helps create better economic and political systems. The institute runs programs like the Belonging Resident Company, where people can dance, perform, and create art together to build understanding. They also have a Cultures of Care project that celebrates people who take care of each other in creative ways. Their approach has four main parts: supporting diverse cultural practices led by those most affected by oppression, amplifying knowledge that comes through culture, aligning with efforts for change, and making new ideas become common sense. The institute brings together researchers, organizers, and artists to identify and remove barriers to creating inclusive, fair, and sustainable communities. They offer free courses, host conferences, and work with communities across the country to use arts and culture as tools for social change and building belonging.

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