{"podcast":{"title":"ART IS CHANGE: Strategies & Skills for Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers","slug":"art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696","podcast_index_feed_id":917696,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/change-the-story-chan/","website_url":"https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/a5e6de18-2f7c-48cb-af4d-742987fd3494/Art-is-Change-FINALX3K26.jpg","author":"Bill Cleveland","episode_count":187,"summary":"Can your art help dismantle injustice, shift systems, or spark healing in places like homeless shelters, emergency rooms, or city planning meetings? If you’re passionate about making a real difference through creativity, ART IS CHANGE (formerly known as Change the Story / Change the World) is your front-row seat to the real-world impact of art and social change. Hosted by author, musician, and researcher Bill Cleveland, each episode brings you deep into the lives and work of activist artists and cultural organizers who are doing more than dreaming—they’re transforming communities around the world. You’ll discover: • Proven strategies for thriving as an artist for change in complex, real-world settings • How to build meaningful, lasting partnerships that support your mission and your art • Lessons from global leaders creating cultural blueprints for justice, empathy, and resilience ▶️ Start with fan-favorite Episodes 86 and 87: Lessons From an Art and Change Pioneer—a double-dose of inspiration and practical insight.- https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/bighart-bigstory-redux/","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T00:17:13.305728+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696"},"episode":{"title":"162: Alan Jenkins: These Art & Social Change Superpowers Can Help Save Democracy","slug":"162-alan-jenkins-these-art-social-change-superpowers-can-help-save-democracy","published_at":"2026-01-28T11:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/162-alan-jenkins-these-art-social-change-superpowers-can-help-save-democracy","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696","url":"https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/162-alan-jenkins","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/95d16767-fef4-42c0-943b-1aa56af26f07.mp3","summary":"So if democracy is under pressure, what role do stories, culture, and imagination play in defending it? In this episode, we're joined by Alan Jenkins, civil rights lawyer, former Ford foundation program director, Harvard Law School professor, and now comic book author, for a wide ranging conversation about story making and telling as a tool for social change. From Supreme Court litigation to graphic novels, Alan Jenkins traces how law, narrative, and culture intersect when democracy is at stake. So in our conversation, we explore three big ideas I think matter a lot right now: First, why is story inseparable from power?And how law, policy, and culture work together, whether we acknowledge it or not, to shape public belief and behavior. Next, how popular culture and art have historically been used to confront authoritarianism. From Superman and Captain America to global protest movements that borrow symbol, humor, and myth. And finally, what hybrid 21st century leadership looks like and why flexibility, empathy, and imagination may be as important as specialized expertise in this moment. NOTABLE MENTIONS People Bill Cleveland Host of ART IS CHANGE and founder of the Center for the Study of Art & Community. Alan Jenkins Harvard Law School professor; former civil rights and DOJ lawyer; former Director of Human Rights at the Ford Foundation; co-author of 1/6: The Graphic Novel . Anthony S. Fauci Former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; referenced in discussion of ACT UP and activist pressure shaping public institutions. Charles Lindbergh Aviator and political figure cited in discussion of American isolationism and authoritarian sympathies prior to World War II. Pablo Picasso Artist whose painting Guernica is referenced as a defining…","meta_description":"So if democracy is under pressure, what role do stories, culture, and imagination play in defending it? In this episode, we're joined by Alan Jenkins, civ…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2597,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/episodes/162-alan-jenkins-these-art-social-change-superpowers-can-help-save-democracy/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/162-alan-jenkins-these-art-social-change-superpowers-can-help-save-democracy.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}