Shaping Creative Justice Ecosystems

The book demonstrates how creative justice principles can transform organizational cultures, challenge traditional hierarchies, and foster environments where creativity and justice intersect. What do forests teach us about collective action? How do we decompose toxic systems of dominance and oppression as we nurture healing ecosystems of communal power, joy, and liberation? This short-form book poses and explores these questions from the perspective of arts leaders locally, nationally, and internationally. An exploration through three case studies of collective action for creative justice in a US nonprofit context gleans lessons for collective action on micro, meso, and macro levels. Shaping Creative Justice Ecosystems deepens understanding of why and how collective action is necessary in the arts and culture sector, providing practical examples to inform sector-wide change toward equity and creative justice.

Andrea Gordillo Marquina is co-founder of Selva Records and co-director of Community Weaving at Arts Connect International, USA. They are the first author and the co-corresponding author. mica rose is a cultural organizer and co-director of Emergence at Arts Connect International, USA. They are a contributing author. Marian Taylor Brown is the founder of Arts Connect International, and a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA. They are the senior author and co-corresponding author.

1. Preface 2. Introduction 3. Case Studies and Context 4. Strategy, Emergence, and Experimentation Strategy 5. Obstacles and Contradictions 6. Collaboration and Resource Sharing 7. Relationships at the Center 8. Generative Conflict for Growth 9. Conclusion: (re) Landing Together