Keep Powering the Culture Wave
The Center for Cultural Power is a women of color, artist-led organization, inspiring artists and culture makers to imagine a world where power is distributed equitably and where we live in harmony with nature. We support artists through fellowships, training and opportunities for activation. We create intersectional stories and content addressing issues of migration, climate, gender and racial justice. We engage groups in cultural strategy and organize artists in issues that inspire them. Together with allies, we are co-creating a field of cultural strategy with organizations and practitioners through convenings, design teams and strategy tables.
Our Values
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Culture is power
Culture is the beating heart of our human experience. It is the traditions, rituals, and expressions of our deepest values and beliefs. It provides continuity and connection across generations and moves us forward. Culture is fluid and ever-changing, shaping what we think is possible. Culture can heal, sustain collective action, and is the space where we dream new worlds into existence. When we harness cultural power our wildest dreams become possible, and then become real.
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We are all interconnected
We live in an interdependent relationship with each other, our world, and the cosmos. We understand our fates are intertwined and that to move forward, we move forward together. There is a responsibility in understanding our connections to one another, and we must act from the knowledge of how our decisions ripple beyond ourselves.
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We steward the past and future
We understand our lives as part of an arc that stretches long before and long after our single lifetimes. When we create and transmit wisdom across generations, it is not only a means of survival but is also a means for introspection, transformation, regeneration, sustainability, and our ability to thrive. We create possibilities for reimagining our futures when we learn from the wisdom of those who came before us, and act from the knowledge that we will become ancestors to those who come after us.
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Love moves us toward liberation
Love creates possibilities for all of us. When we love ourselves and others, we open space for healing, repair and growth, and create opportunities for joy, connection, and reciprocity. Love is an act of abundance. It inspires action and solidarity. It dissolves boundaries and borders. From love grows freedom and justice. When communities center love, we create a space for accountability, responsibility, and collective care. When societies center love, we transform the world.
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We thrive when we care for each other
Collective care is fundamental for individual and community health. We prioritize caring for communities, our loved ones, and ourselves, and believe that our institutions and governing systems must be oriented to support well-being and our ability to care for each other. We understand collective well-being as a core measurement of success for a culture, an economy, and a society.
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We determine our lives and future
In order to thrive, people must be able to choose their own path. Individuals must have the autonomy to make decisions about their bodies and lives. Communities must be able to develop the cultural, political, and economic systems that meet their needs, while respecting the dignity and autonomy of others. When we honor each other’s right to self-determination, we recognize our unique lived experiences, capacities, and wisdom. We learn from each other, and together, we grow.
