Panel

At the interstices of government, family, and business exists another entity known as civil society. The media do not often feature this sector of our world, but some argue that civic engagement is where we sustain many of the most vivid parts of our lives. Some also argue that a strong civil society is crucial to functioning democracy. Important questions include how do we create that civil society, how does it work, and what is its relationship to democratic government and back again to community life? Theater, music, dance, visual imagery, poetic words, and other creative acts help to express, communicate, cement and destroy the values which construct this unofficial yet essential slice of our lives. We discuss ways to use the arts to nourish a stronger civil society, to mount social critique and social unities and to ensure maximum participation in democratic institutions.

Moderator
Leslie Prosterman, Fellow of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics

Participants
Jonathan Hollander, Founder, Resident Choreographer and Artistic Director, Battery Dance Company
Steven J. Zeitlin, Co-founder and Director, City Lore