Arts & Culture Advocacy Program

NCAC’s Arts & Culture Advocacy Program (ACAP) is the only national project dedicated to working directly with individual artists, authors, playwrights, curators, and other creatives involved in censorship disputes. Launched in 2000, ACAP protects artists’ participation in democratic dialogue by defending public access to their work and supporting artists’ ability to freely express views that might be unpopular or controversial. ACAP resolves controversies through education and advocacy, avoiding the need for legal action. 

In addition to censorship casework, we track and analyze national censorship trends and produce educational resources that empower artists, curators, and institutions to advocate for and devise productive ways to display and engage in dialogue around controversial artworks. We host an annual Curatorial Workshop for curators to discuss strategies and tactics for curating challenging works, and are also a co-founding organization of Don’t Delete Art, a collaborative project dedicated to protecting artistic expression online.