Directed by Holden & Arts Associates' co-director, Theresa Holden, The Artist and Community Connection (ACC), is a not-for-profit consultancy service organization. For the past fifteen years, Theresa Holden, recent winner of the Ford Foundation's "Leadership for a Changing World Award," has aimed to create a connection and exchange between artists and the communities they visit, and to strengthen the organizations and staff that seek to support artistic and cultural community engagements. ACC's successful partnerships have helped to build local cultural affirmation and self-determination, respect for cultural diversity and equitable distribution of resources. ACC's organizing and producing work always seeks to equalize all partners' voices in the development and presentation of the project's work.

ACC provides a variety of services for clients from across the USA, which have included, among others: university and community arts presenters; artists; youth, Native American, housing, immigrant, and health organizations; public schools; and university academic departments.

The goals of ACC's projects are as diverse as the organizations and communities served. Theresa has facilitated board and staff retreats, student orientations, faculty meetings, planned and produced festivals and community events, facilitated organizational multi-year planning processes, led students and faculty orientations, organized and supervised organizational evaluations, directed organizational self-studies and ethnographies, helped build coalitions in communities, and facilitated communities seeking and collecting their own stories.

Theresa customizes the services for each project and, when called for, brings her colleagues into the project. These long-time collaborators are artists, educators and organizers who offer years of experience, wisdom, talent and diverse working methods. Each project has its own particular needs and ACC creates the right team to undertake the work.

For more information about ACC's past projects and to talk about how ACC can help your organization, email Theresa at:

th@holdenarts.org
Or call: 512 477-1859