Restoke: an update from Clare Reynolds

On Episode 64 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss the ethical issues that arise when working with communities. 
The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam earlier this Spring.
 
A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY
EPISODE 64 | MAY 15 | 2026 
PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
 
COMMENTARY
In the second episode based on live recordings from ICAF in Rotterdam, we hear Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso and their presentation on Community Arts and Ethics.
The episode has three parts. We begin with a short introduction in which Arlene and François set the context for the workshop. We then hear the first part of the workshop - their initial presentation - exactly as it happened. We have deliberately left in the slight imperfections and occasional background noise to preserve as far as possible the atmosphere in the hall. 
At the event this was followed by an interactive feedback session. However it was not possible to obtain permissions from all those present to use their voices. Instead Arlene and François have created a summary of the questions that people raised and the answers they provided. This freshly recorded summary forms the final part of the episode.
 
REFERENCES
Ethics & Participatory Arts, a 2021 pamphlet by Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso https://content.gulbenkian.pt/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/05120439/2021_AC_Ethics-and-Participatory-Art.pdf
ICAF Rotterdam https://icafrotterdam.com/
François: A Restless Art https://arestlessart.com/
François: A Selfless Art https://aselflessart.com/
Arlene on Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Goldbard
Arlene’s website  https://arlenegoldbard.com/about-2/
 
 

Episode 63 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss cultural policy as it really is, and not as policy makers would like you to think of it. 
The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam a few weeks ago.
 
A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY
 
EPISODE 63 | APRIL 17 | 2026
 PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
COMMENTARY
Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso have hosted the A Culture of Possibility podcast for over five years but they have never met face to face - until they finally met late last month at the ICAF Festival in Rotterdam. They had been invited to give two joint workshops: one on cultural policy and community arts, and one on ethics and community arts.
In this episode, we listen to the first part of the first workshop - the initial presentation - exactly as it happened. At the actual event this was followed by an interactive feedback session. Here you are invited to conduct your own experiment at home.
Please note that you may hear a few microphone problems at the beginning of the presentation, and some extraneous noise from time to time; but not very much, and certainly not enough to distract from what Arlene and François have to say.
REFERENCES
ICAF Rotterdam https://icafrotterdam.com/
François: A Restless Art https://arestlessart.com/
François: A Selfless Art https://aselflessart.com/
Arlene on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Goldbard
Arlene’s website https://arlenegoldbard.com/about-2/

On Episode 62 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso begin a conversation about co-creation. 
They both believe that co-creation is integral to community-based arts work. But what does it mean? What are its pitfalls? Why does it matter?
 
A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY 
 
EPISODE 62 | FEBRUARY 20 | 2026 
PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
COMMENTARY
On Episode 62 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk about co-creation. 
Co-creation is integral to community-based arts work. What does it mean? What are its pitfalls? 
Why does it matter? 
REFERENCES
ICAF Rotterdam https://icafrotterdam.com/
A Restless Art https://arestlessart.com/
A Selfless Art https://aselflessart.com/
Traction Opera Project https://arestlessart.com/co-creation/traction/
 
 

This month in A Culture of Possibility Eugene van Erven discusses his adventures in international popular theatre: adventures that carried him on a journey that led to the founding of ICAF in Rotterdam.
 
A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY
EPISODE 61 | FEBRUARY 20 | 2026 
PARTICIPANTS
Eugene van Erven | Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
 
COMMENTARY
On episode 61 of A Culture of Possibility cohosts Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk with Eugene van Erven, a founder of The International Community Arts Festival (ICAF) in Rotterdam, the 10th edition of which is coming right up in March.
There’s still time to register!
Eugene talks about his long and varied adventures in international popular theater leading to the creation of ICAF, offering a fascinating and inspiring account of a life dedicated to cultural democracy.
 
BOOKS by Eugene van Erven
1988 Radical People’s Theatre. Indiana University Press
1992 The Playful Revolution. Theatre and Liberation in Asia. Indiana University Press
2001 Community Theatre, Global Perspectives. Routledge
2012 Community Arts Dialogues. Treaty of Utrecht Foundation
 
REFERENCES
ICAF Rotterdam: https://icafrotterdam.com/
Eugene’s blog: https://eugenevanerven.wordpress.com/
 

Today A Culture of Possibility celebrates its fifth anniversary with an in-depth discussion with Griselda Goldsbrough about arts in hospitals. JANUARY 16 | SERIES 2026
A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY | EPISODE 60 
PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | Griselda Goldsbrough | François Matarasso
COMMENTARY
Griselda Goldsbrough is a visual artist and writer, and community educator. She has over 15 years’ experience in devising and curating creative art, science and literature programmes and events.  
On episode 60 of A Culture of Possibility co-hosts Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk with Griselda Goldsbrough, Art and Design Development Manager of the National Arts in Hospitals Network, “a resource for arts managers in hospitals to champion hospital arts across the UK, supporting recovery and wellbeing.”
The stories she tells about working with patients, staff, and others will inspire you!  
REFERENCES
National Arts in Hospitals Network 
Griselda on LinkedIn 

Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk about redemption: : the understanding that we can learn from experience and choose to realign some aspect of our lives to our deepest values.
How much do people believe positive change is possible? How much are people’s ideas of possibility constrained by a certainty that our pasts over-determine our future?
 
DECEMBER 9 | SERIES 2025
STREAM A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY | EPISODE 59
 
PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
COMMENTARY
On episode 59 of A Culture of Possibility, co-hosts Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk about redemption: the understanding that we can learn from experience and choose to realign some aspect of our lives to our deepest values. We were moved to explore this by the prevalence of “cancel culture” in the US and to an extent, the UK. 
Once a phenomenon of the left, now strongly influential on the right, people are singled out and vilified for things they said or did decades earlier, or they become targets of persistent, angry campaigns aimed at shaming or ostracizing them for using objectionable language or disagreeing with those in power. 
Core to community-based arts is the idea that when people speak for themselves, representing their truths, they may influence others to listen deeply and reach a more loving or just understanding. 
These days, how much do people believe positive change is possible? How much are people’s ideas of possibility constrained by certainty that our pasts over-determine our futures? 
We support freedom of expression and believe in redemption. Can people like us influence cultures that don’t? 
REFERENCES
Shadow World: anatomy of a cancellation
 

Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso interview Laura Raicovich about Fall of Freedom, which begins on the day this podcast drops. NOVEMBER 21 | SERIES 2025
STREAM A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY | EPISODE 58 
PARTICIPANTS
Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso | Laura Raicovich
COMMENTARY
On episode 58 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk with writer and curator Laura Raicovich, one of the initiators of Fall of Freedom, an action beginning 21 November in the US, described as “an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation,” “activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance.” 
Artists and organizations are invited to participate by hosting public events of any size. We’ll talk about the organizers’ hopes and their sense of why and how art can resist authoritarianism.
Since this podcast goes out on November 21, it could not be timelier. Listen to the podcast, go to miaaw.net to get the links, and then look and see what is going on where you are! 
REFERENCES
Fall of Freedom website
Download the Fall of Freedom Toolkit
 
 

Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso interview Betsy Damon whose work with water has had a healing impact across the globe. She talks about her work from early projects in China to her current undertakings. OCTOBER 17 | SERIES 2025
STREAM A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY | EPISODE 57
PARTICIPANTS
 
Betsy Damon | Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso
COMMENTARY
Betsy Damon is an internationally-recognized artist whose public work and living systems, such as the Living Water Garden, have received widespread acclaim. 
In 1991 Damon founded Keepers of the Waters,[23] a nonprofit organization that serves as an international community to encourage "art, science and community projects for the understanding and remediation of living water systems." The nonprofit is run with a collaborative approach and was started with the support of the Hubert Humphrey Institute.
In 2006, Damon, alongside a group of artists, scientists, and funders, met in Vancouver and created a summary report for UNESCO titled <strong>Art in Ecology – A Think Tank on Arts and Sustainability.</strong> UNESCO had commissioned a report in advance of this meeting titled <em>Mapping the Terrain of Contemporary EcoART Practice</em>, of which the meeting and summary report were a result.
She is the author of <strong>Water Talks: Empowering Communities to Know, Restore, and Preserve their Waters.</strong>
On episode 57 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso interview Betsy Damon. 
Her work with water has had a healing impact across the globe and in this fascinating episode, she talks about her early projects in China and the work she’s undertaking now. 
She also shares excellent advice for others who want to help.  
REFERENCES
 
Betsy Damon’s website
Betsy Damon’s CV
Betsy Damon in Wikipedia