Our Initiatives
AFI’s specialized projects - past and present - are designed to respond to critical moments, needs, and opportunities. Together, they extend AFI’s core programs and advance artistic freedom through targeted action.
Initiatives
Projects That Advance Artistic Freedom
AFI’s initiatives bring together past projects and active efforts that are central to our mission. These initiatives reflect how we respond to urgent needs, test new approaches, and support artists through collaboration, research, and public engagement. Some initiatives emerge in response to specific moments or needs, while others continue to evolve over time. Taken together, they show how AFI adapts its work across disciplines and geographies, and deploys tailored strategies to support artists and protect creative expression.
Active Initiatives
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Artistic Freedom Monitor USA
2026 - PresentArtistic Freedom Monitor USA (AFM USA) is a national research, documentation, and advocacy initiative tracking government actions that threaten artistic freedom in the United States. AFM was created and is led by Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), with support from our partners at Democracy Forward, Human Rights First, and the Pro Bono Programs at Stanford Law School and UC Berkeley Law School.
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Artist Community Network
2025 - PresentThe Artist Community Network (ACN) is an artist-led initiative designed to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, professional development, partnership-building, and artistic and networking events for the artists within AFI’s NYC-based community. This initiative is designed to empower artists to support each other as co-creators, organizers, and friends. With generous support from the Mellon Foundation, the ACN launched in 2025 as...
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Support AFI’s Work
As censorship rises and artists are targeted for speaking truth to power, protecting creative voices has never been more urgent. Since 2017, AFI has supported over 2,000 courageous artists who continue making art even when it places them at risk. Your contribution ensures artists can keep creating, sharing, and inspiring change—protecting both their voices and the right to artistic freedom worldwide.