NAMAC Receives $232,000 Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for Innovative Global Arts + Climate Change Initiative

NAMAC Receives $232,000 Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for Innovative Global Arts + Climate Change Initiative

 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 | Contact: Wendy Levy, Executive Director
wendy@namac.org, (510) 406-8623

Oakland, CA — The National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC) today announces a $232,000 grant from The Rockefeller Foundation to support NAMAC’s Innovation Studio and the formation of the Creative Impact Network, a digital media platform connecting global audiences to art, science, and journalism on urgent social issues. The Creative Impact Network will launch with a global Climate Change initiative that will feature provocative stories, interactive projects and media art from some of the most climate-vulnerable communities. The grant also funds a series of creative workshops called HatchLabs that bring together artists, scientists, and public-sector organizations to collaborate in new ways to protect and sustain the planet, connecting disparate communities to build greater resilience through the use of storytelling and media arts. HatchLabs will build upon the online strategies and tools available at hatchforgood,org, a website designed to help non-profits tell stories with purpose.

A meeting at the White House inspired the idea for the Creative Impact Network. Bina Venkataraman, former White House Senior Advisor on Climate Change Innovation, invited NAMAC Executive Director Wendy Levy to join a meeting of scientists and government officials to discuss the newest tools for climate change and disaster mitigation. “I was overwhelmed by the power and vision of the technology, and the absence of voices of the people directly affected,” says Levy. “The Creative Impact Network is responsive to the idea that artists, and the force of our collective imagination, are engines of culture change. There will never be environmental justice without a systemic shift that prioritizes inclusion. We at NAMAC are deeply grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation for the supporting this work. It’s a game-changer for us.”

“The Creative Impact Network is responsive to the idea that artists, and the force of our collective imagination, are engines of culture change. There will never be environmental justice without a systemic shift that prioritizes inclusion.” Wendy Levy, Executive Director

The Creative Impact Network is the first grant to NAMAC from The Rockefeller Foundation. “As we focus on building the resilience of communities in the face of climate change and the many other shocks and stresses of today’s world, the power of storytelling and the creativity of artists can significantly increase our impact, “ said Neill Coleman, Vice President for Global Communications at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We have been inspired by the tremendous enthusiasm for the online storytelling platform hatchforgood.org, that The Rockefeller Foundation funded and we are excited to now see those tools being put into practice directly by NAMAC and the Creative Impact Network.”

For further information, or to participate in the Creative Impact Network, see namac.org, or contact Executive Director Wendy Levy, wendy@namac.org

***

National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC)
NAMAC has worked to raise the profile and influence of the media arts on behalf of its growing and changing membership. Today, NAMAC welcomes individuals across disciplines, local, regional and national media nonprofits, international NGOs, and strategic partners from all sectors as we move into a collaborative, creative future. Learn more and join at namac.org/join

The Rockefeller Foundation
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission has been to promote the well- being of humanity throughout the world. Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at the intersection of four focus areas—advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities—to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot—or will not. To learn more, please visit rockefellerfoundation.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.