New York, NY, May 13, 2013—We believe arts and cultural expression is a necessary and extraordinary tool for social change. This month, we launch our new Global Arts Fund with the goal to support, showcase, and connect impactful art by LGBTQI people and organizations with limited access to resources, who use art as a tool for social transformation. In an endeavor to support the arts across mediums and disciplines, the fund will consider submissions in all artistic expressions: video, film, poetry, fictional prose, photography, painting, performance, dance, theater, music and any interdisciplinary expressions.

Over the past year, freeDimensional has been further developing its Creative Resistance Fund as a conduit by which likeminded partners and funders can support individuals using creativity to fight injustice.  A 2012 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network enables freeDimensional’s participation and technical support to the Freemuse event, a World Conference on Artistic Freedom of Expression. In particular, this support will enable two exiled artists to attend the Conference in Oslo by covering their travel costs.  Freemuse advocates and defends freedom of expression for musicians and composers. Initiating the first ever World Conference on Artistic Freedom of Expression and launching a global network, artsfex, for the protection of artistic freedom, Freemuse aims to set a new agenda for artists’ rights worldwide.

The pilot phase of the Creative Resistance Fund runs from mid-2010 to mid-2011.  During this period, the Fund will make 10-15 small, rapid-response grants to people using creativity to fight injustice.  These grants may be used by the recipient to evacuate a dangerous situation; cover living expenses while weighing long-term options for safety; or act on a strategic opportunity to affect social change.  During the pilot phase, the Fund will be relying on freeDimensional‘s board of directors for all grant decisions.  Over the past five years, freeDimensional has helped more than 70 culture workers-in-distress through its Creative Safe Haven service; based on this track record we outlined potential uses of the fund (listed above); however we are also open to tackling new challenges faced by artists doing the work of activists.  During the pilot phase the committee has a mandate to experiment with its grantmaking so that it can revise its funding parameters at the end of the pilot year.  Here’s an example of that experimentation:  Back in July, an advisor to the Fund alerted the committee of the impending eviction of 96-year old sculptor, Inge Hardison.  With one look at Hardison’s ouevre, using the Fund to lend a helping hand was unquestionable.  Much of Hardison’s work is emotionally involved to her heritage as a woman of African decent. She has created a series of busts of African American heroes that she has called Negro Giants in History.  Hardison is often seen wearing pieces of her work, such as a two-inch pin depicting Sojourner Truth. The original piece was a two-foot work given to Nelson Mandela by (then) New York governor Mario Cuomo in 1990.  In addition to being a sculptor, Hardison is an accomplished photographer too. She was the only woman among the six artists who formed the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.  Hardison once said, “During my long life I have enjoyed using different ways to distill the essences of my experiences so as to share for the good they might do in the lives of others.”  The Creative Resistance Fund chipped in $500 (along with many individual supporters) to build up a bank account from which her future rent payments will come.

It’s fair to say that we wouldn’t get anything done at all if not for a reliable network of supporters and friends.  As we embark upon the R&D phase of the Creative Resistance Fund, both Res Artis & Wooloo are helping us get the word out about a new rapid response distress fund for artists doing the work of activists … and we thank them for this exposure!