Moving AHEAD: Advocating for Health Equity through Arts and Dance

Artists use creative expression to speak truth to power and explain social problems. They can offer an authentic, cultural understanding of equity and community that helps shape and focus policies, and yet they are traditionally excluded from policy making discussions. The Farley Center, in partnership with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD), is building an Arts Alliance for Health Equity in Colorado that brings artists to the table with community leaders to inform policy perspectives and advance health equity.

Moving AHEAD aims to build a multi-sector alliance of arts stakeholders to advocate for local and state policies that promise more equitable health outcomes. The work of the Arts Alliance includes and is informed by:

Advocacy: Building relationships and strengthening advocacy skills to expand knowledge about health policy and enhance continued progress and sustainability.

Policy Analysis: Identifying and prioritizing artsinformed health equity policy solutions.

Cultural Asset Mapping: Mapping community artistic and cultural assets across Colorado to identify bright spots and cultural deserts.

Convening: Discussing and enhancing shared understanding of equity through Arts Alliance convenings and engagement in community arts events that will inform policy changes.

MOVING AHEAD HAS:

Ì Convened participants across a variety of sectors in the Denver metro region, Trinidad, Durango, Mancos, and Colorado Springs.

Ì Focused on vaccine equity and access through CPRD’s series of vaccine clinics which contributed to public health awareness, a critical step toward influencing equitable policy making.

Ì Promoted voting in Colorado’s General Election through voting registration tables at CPRD’s Juneteenth event and Mile High Dance Festival.

The Farley Center’s commitment to elevating authentic community voices and empowering artists to engage in policy discussions informs their approach to developing more equitable policies and practices. To learn more, visit movingaheadco.org

“The Farley Health Policy Center has consistently helped to inform, educate, and exemplify the significance of policy and civic engagement within all areas of human development in Colorado’s most diverse communities. FHPC’s senior leadership and operational staff have been instrumental in the structuring and strategic planning of access and inclusion into the arts, mental health education, and rural community development.”