Guide to the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue Archive 1997-2000 MSS 127

The Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue was founded in 1997 by Anna Deavere Smith to support the development of those artworks and projects specifically concerned with social conditions and to foster dialogue between artists, activists, scholars and audiences that could both enhance the artworks and encourage a broader, more open exchange of ideas. The main activity of the Institute was the organization of three summer series where numerous works were created, staged, and discussed with the participation of volunteer audiences, teachers and professors, cultural critics and other guests. The collection consists of administrative records, artist applications, and records and documents of the artworks and theatrical productions.