“I think it’s a natural thing that if you’re an activist, you’re thinking about your day-to-day. You encounter those obstacles and you know them really well because you know the issue. And over time, it becomes harder and harder to imagine success.

So, we spend a lot of time with people trying to help them think about what the actual goal is, or what a real win would be. When you have that vision of the outcome, it’s easier to chart ways around the obstacles.“

“When it comes to supporting activists in using arts and culture more effectively and strategically, there’s much work to be done. That’s why I was excited to see the release of another important resource last year: ‘The Art of Activism: Your All-purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible’ — a new book from our compatriots Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, founders of the Center for Artistic Activism.

From chapters on developing your own artistic process to the critical role of persuasion, the Steves (as they are often called) make the case that art needs activism and activism needs art. As a longtime ‘hard core’ activist/artist myself, that’s an argument I can get fully behind. However, ‘The Art of Activism,’ which includes an accompanying workbook for developing your own creative actions, is not for the faint of heart. The Steves are both college professors, and it shows — in that the book/workbook could be the basis for an intensive college course…

You and your campaign will benefit greatly from investing in ‘The Art of Activism’ package. Thanks to the Steves, you’ll graduate with a solid handle on the process, principles, history and practice of artistic activism and how this can move us towards a better (utopian!) future.”

“Join the co-founders of the Center for Artistic Activism, Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert, as they discuss their new book The Art of Activism, an all-purpose guide that falls somewhere between Che Guevara’s Principles for Guerrilla Warfare and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Duncombe and Lambert show readers how to bring about effective social change by combining the emotional power of the arts with the strategic planning of activism. The Art of Activism brings together the authors’ extensive practical knowledge—gleaned from over a decade’s experience training activists around the world—with theoretical insights from fields as far-ranging as cultural studies and cognitive science. From the United Farm Workers’ boycott movement in sixties’ California to a canal-side beach in present-day Saint Petersburg, these pages are packed with contemporary and historical case studies in artistic activism that have been shown to work in practice—no prior experience required!”

“Steve Duncombe is the author of one of my favourite books on the very necessary fusion of politics and culture, Dream: Re-Imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy. First published in 2007, and recently republished in a most welcome new and updated edition.  This new book, co-authored with Steve Lambert, is a how-to guide to practicing what they describe as ‘artistic activism’. Lavishly illustrated, the text mixes ideas on how to ‘do’ politics with creative application to change the ‘look’ of politics too. Neither have the imprint of a corporate makeover, this is a process from below. Please, please, please would the US-based authors come to the UK to run a training event?”

“In a new book, an artist and an academic share their experiences in bringing about social change by integrating the emotive power of the arts with the practical efficacy of strategic activism. ‘The Art of Activism’ by Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert compiles knowledge the authors have gleaned from training hundreds of activists and artists around the world over the last 12 years…

‘The Art of Activism’ is more than a nuts and bolts ‘how-to’ guide. Duncombe and Lambert also deliver thought-provoking discussions on the theoretical underpinnings of artistic activism, drawing on fields as diverse as marketing, cognitive science and pop culture. To help clarify theories and inspire creativity, the book is packed with a diverse selection of case studies.”

“[Steve] Duncombe, along with co-author and artist Steve Lambert, offers an inspirational structure for the concept of artistic activism, and displays how individuals can use this mechanism to create real-life change. In essence, Duncombe takes the theory of a marriage between art and activism and puts it into practice…

As he prepares for his new venture, Duncombe hopes that this book will inspire change among a broader audience. Moreover, he hopes that the book’s intended purpose — to serve as a learning guide on how to use the fusion of art and activism — sparks change all around the world, regardless of one’s background.”

“Since co-founding The Center for Artistic Activism in 2009, Steve Lambert and Steve Duncombe have trained and mentored over 1,500 artists and activists around the world. Duncombe is an activist, author, and professor of Media and Culture at New York University. Lambert is an artist and professor of New Media at Purchase College, New York…

The Center for Artistic Activism’s new book and accompanying workbook to empower activist artists, The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible (O/R Books), will be available in June. Lambert encourages stretching beyond the goals of raising awareness, inspiring dialogue, and communicating a message: ‘Artistic activism can change behaviors, our dreams, and our sense of what’s possible, and it can impact power and policy.'”