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Culture

Latest Stories

Museums Are Improving Life for People With Dementia

Elizabeth Hewitt March 23, 2023 6 min read

Custom-designed museum programs are alleviating depression, fostering connection and even lowering cortisol levels in people with dementia.

An ‘Unsexy’ System for Greening Fashion That Actually Works

Peter Yeung March 9, 2023 4 min read

Forget pants made of car tires — to truly make fashion more sustainable, a collaboration between dozens of brands is slashing the industry’s carbon footprint.

These Museums Are Curated by The People They Represent

Ashira Morris February 17, 2023 5 min read

The Manchester Museum asked 30 community members to curate its new South Asia gallery — the latest cultural institution to hand over control to those it represents.

Can the ‘Slow Flowers’ Movement Make Valentine’s Day Sustainable?

Michaela Haas February 10, 2023 5 min read

Advocates shining a light on ecologically responsible bouquets want to do for the floral industry what locavorism did for food.

111 Trees Per Daughter Changed This Village’s Future

Geetanjali Krishna January 6, 2023 5 min read

How an unusual ritual led to fewer child marriages, less flooding, a boom in girls’ education — and a cultural transformation.

Helsinki Built a Library That Brings a Whole City Together

Peter Yeung December 1, 2022 6 min read

In a country where half of all citizens visit the library every month, Oodi Library provides a blueprint for fostering human convergence.

Related Collections

Art is Everywhere

Earthships, Mormons, Doomsdayers and Weed

Peter Yeung November 24, 2022 11 min read

Scenes from our Paris-based correspondent’s epic three-month road trip across these “dizzyingly paradoxical” United States.

The Delicate Art of Greening a Museum

Ashira Morris October 25, 2022 6 min read

Cavernous and strictly climate controlled, museums are notoriously wasteful — but a few are leading a sustainability renaissance.

Beneath This Sea, a Sculpture Garden Is Saving an Ecosystem

Peter Yeung September 30, 2022 < 1 min read

The Mediterranean is the world’s most overfished sea — and a proving ground for how art can elevate conservation.

When’s the Long Weekend? Whenever You Want

MaryLou Costa August 26, 2022 3 min read

Recognizing that many public holidays are pegged to Western and Christian traditions, companies are taking a more inclusive approach to days off.

Everyone Owns Boston’s New Jazz Cafe

Oscar Perry Abello August 2, 2022 9 min read

A new local music venue proves that when communities invest in themselves they don’t need to settle for Walgreens and Applebees.

How Giving Up Flying Helped Me Rediscover the World

Helen Coffey July 28, 2022 5 min read

As a travel editor, my job is to hopscotch across the globe. When I decided to keep my feet on the ground, I saw it in a whole new way.

Sun, Sex and Second-Hand Clothes

Hannah Gould July 18, 2022 5 min read

With a cast clad in eBay hand-me-downs, Love Island UK is encouraging viewers to embrace sustainable glamor. Welcome to socially conscious trash TV.

You’ve Got Mail from Timbuktu

Peter Yeung June 13, 2022 5 min read

Anyone can receive a postcard from this city rumored to be at the edge of the earth — and support a post-tourism economy in the process.

Soap Operas That Teach but Don’t Preach

Veronika Perková June 9, 2022 5 min read

Advocates are inserting storylines into TV and radio shows to promote behaviors that could lead to social change. Just don’t call it infotainment.

Home Is Where the Art Is

Michaela Haas June 2, 2022 7 min read

In Düsseldorf, revenues from sales of works by famous artists are used to buy apartments for those who need them most.

Water-Guzzling Yards Are Getting a Celebrity Makeover

Stephanie Castellano May 13, 2022 5 min read

A new reality series is using the HGTV method to tackle Florida’s water supply issues.

And Now, a Little Inspiration

RTBC Staff May 2, 2022 < 1 min read

From the archives of We Are Not Divided, three stories that look at our ability to bridge our divides — and find reason for optimism.

Systems Can Change — And So Can We

RTBC Staff March 31, 2022 2 min read

From the archives of We Are Not Divided, we revisit three stories that explore the ways massive systems can shift to tip the scales in favor of social cohesion

Meet the ‘Cultural Mediators’ Who Help Refugees in Germany

Peter Yeung March 11, 2022 4 min read

For thousands of refugees, integrating in Germany is made easier by a local mentor.

How to Talk to People Whose Opinions You Loathe

RTBC Staff February 24, 2022 2 min read

From the archives of We Are Not Divided, we revisit three more stories that teach us how to listen — even when we don’t like what we hear.

The Tantalizing Dream of a “Regional” Olympics

Will Doig February 3, 2022 5 min read

The Games have become an unwieldy, budget-busting affair. Allowing multiple cities — or even countries — to co-host could fix that.

You Can Change Your Mind About Virtually Anything

RTBC Staff January 28, 2022 2 min read

From the archives of We Are Not Divided, we revisit three stories that explore our surprising — and encouraging — openness to others’ points of view.

Where the “Right to Rest” is Guaranteed

Peter Yeung December 24, 2021 4 min read

In Portugal, the human need to log off and relax is now protected by law.

A Monthly Ritual of Selflessness Has Transformed Rwanda

Tolu Olasoji December 6, 2021 4 min read

On the last Saturday of each month, everyone stops what they’re doing and works together to improve their communities. It’s called Umuganda.

The Library Where the ‘Books’ Are Human Beings

Michaela Haas November 29, 2021 6 min read

With branches in 80 countries, the Human Library allows you to borrow a person — a rugby player, a refugee, a sex worker — and ask them anything you want.

Nigeria’s Women-Only Parties Offer Safe Spaces With Style

Ope Adedeji November 16, 2021 7 min read

In a country where sexual harassment is common, gatherings where women can cut loose without fear are a welcome respite.

Would You Compost Your Body to Create Life after Death?

Michaela Haas October 29, 2021 6 min read

Three U.S. states have legalized “natural organic reduction,” in which the dead are returned to the earth to help nourish its growth. 

Surfing Beyond Life’s Scars in Liberia

Tolu Olasoji October 7, 2021 5 min read

How does a young generation wracked by civil war and ebola move forward? In one African surfing town, atop the perfect wave.

South African Women Are Reclaiming Their Voices in the Media

Tolu Olasoji August 20, 2021 6 min read

With elections approaching, the stakes are high. One organization is making sure journalists listen to women.

The Gay ‘Green Book’ Is Going Online

Marianne Dhenin July 26, 2021 5 min read

A digitization project will ensure that a series of 20th century guides for LGBTQ travelers aren’t lost to history.

“Community Sponsorship” Is Diversifying the Refugee Resettlement Process

Jennifer Chowdhury, Prism July 9, 2021 5 min read

Involving local groups means newly arrived refugees can be greeted by someone whose culture they recognize as their own.

A Patriotic Pause

Katłįà (Catherine) Lafferty July 1, 2021 7 min read

Cities across Canada are canceling Canada Day celebrations to contemplate the country’s darkest chapter. Is this the dawn of more nuanced national holidays?

Crossing the Threshold

Emily Nonko June 23, 2021 4 min read

Rites of passage prepare us to transition into new phases of life. Ritual4Return ensures leaving prison is no exception.

Stand Up! It’s Time to Celebrate Black Music

WURD Radio June 16, 2021 5 min read

“Many of the people who were abolitionists pointed to the profound music we had created here as a sign of humanity and one of the reasons they argued that we were not to remain enslaved.”

The ‘Cosmetics Shop’ Using Code to Help People Escape Their Abusers

Michaela Haas June 4, 2021 4 min read

“When a woman places an ‘order’ and gives us her address, that’s the signal for us to send the police.”

The Group Turning Religious Leaders into LGBTQ Rights Crusaders

Tolu Olasoji May 31, 2021 8 min read

Rather than fighting anti-gay faith leaders, a group in Kenya spends years cultivating relationships with them — and converts them into allies.

The NFL Logo Embraced by the Indigenous People Who Inspired It

Micheal Rios April 30, 2021 5 min read

In a sports world fraught with controversial mascots, the Seattle Seahawks logo isn’t just accepted — it’s beloved.

In France, Accents Are Now Protected by Law

Peter Yeung April 2, 2021 8 min read

A groundbreaking new rule aims to let people speak freely and without fear of discrimination.

The Purposeful Beauty of India’s ‘Saree Libraries’

Priti Salian March 12, 2021 5 min read

Inside the lending system for elegant attire that helps low-income women build social capital.

To Save Cherokee Language, This Program Pays People to Learn It

Kristi Eaton March 1, 2021 4 min read

With only 2,000 fluent speakers left, the tribe wants those who love the culture to help preserve it.

In a Mafia Stronghold, This Cooking School Is Stirring the Pot

Agostino Petroni February 1, 2021 9 min read

Arturo Pratticò saw young people working for the mob. What if he could make them chefs instead?

Sexual Harassment Has Virtually Vanished from These Farms

Vera L. Chang December 7, 2020 9 min read

Thanks to an amazingly effective program, many farmworkers no longer need to deal with this type of exploitation.

Colorado’s New Family Leave Law Could Transform Fatherhood

Andrew Wear November 9, 2020 6 min read

Iceland passed a similar law 20 years ago, and turned parents into more equal partners.

You Cannot Use Force to Change Minds

Christine McLaren November 2, 2020 < 1 min read

She fought a brutal ritual with love – and changed a culture.

The Idea That Still Unites Us

Theodore R. Johnson November 2, 2020 < 1 min read

A rowdy, opinionated nation of 330 million requires a special kind of bond.

Their Love Knows No Borders – Not Even a Closed One

Sarah Berman November 2, 2020 < 1 min read

Along a ditch that separates the U.S. from Canada, a very 2020 romance is taking root.

You Don’t Have to Hate the Other Side

Eric Krebs November 2, 2020 < 1 min read

The ability to fight with love instead of rage is what makes us human.

The Complicated World of Staten Island

David Byrne October 26, 2020 < 1 min read

What the New York borough that voted for Trump taught me about the messy business of bridging divides.

Artistic Wizardry That Illuminates Our Bonds

Jennifer Van Evra October 26, 2020 < 1 min read

A child of Mexico City’s nightclubs is putting a spotlight on what connects us.

United by Activism, Separated by Decades

Scott Shigeoka October 16, 2020 < 1 min read

In our final “Bridging Divides” video, a young BLM activist and a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement connect across a lifetime of struggle.

What Canada Can Teach America about Racial Reconciliation

Scott Shigeoka October 15, 2020 < 1 min read

Both countries have a shameful history of oppression. One of them is facing up to it.

Why Millennials Are Moving Into Convents With Nuns

Scott Shigeoka October 15, 2020 < 1 min read

Even as young people eschew religion, some are forming unexpected bonds with sisters of faith through a shared commitment to social justice.

Is This the Unlikeliest Friendship in America?

Scott Shigeoka October 12, 2020 < 1 min read

She’s a gay rights activist. He’s an evangelical Christian. In our new video series, they explain why “impossible” friendships can be our most valuable.

LGBTQ+ and Religious People, Face to Face

Scott Shigeoka October 12, 2020 < 1 min read

In this moving video, two groups that have long struggled to connect finally let their guards down.

A Public Apology Seven Decades in the Making

Jennifer Van Evra October 3, 2020 < 1 min read

How two Canadians, united by an act of oppression, are transforming reconciliation into art.

Tackling Covid-Era Racism Across the U.S.-Canada Border

Jonathan Ore October 1, 2020 < 1 min read

An American and a Canadian artist explore what it means to be Black in a pandemic.

I Loathe Your Politics – So Let’s Be Friends

Poppy Noor October 1, 2020 < 1 min read

In an era of ideological rancor, a few brave souls are going out of their way to befriend their political opposites.

The Performance that Eased a Tribal Conflict

Gwynne Watkins September 23, 2020 < 1 min read

When Congolese refugees moved to New York, they brought their old rivalries with them. Then they put their strife on stage.

My Surprisingly Friendly Post-Prison Life

Alexander Hall September 21, 2020 < 1 min read

Yes, I encountered stigma, but also empathy and understanding – in part, because so many Americans know someone who’s been locked up.

We’re Closer Than We Realize

john a powell & Rachel Heydemann September 17, 2020 < 1 min read

The notion that our common bonds are wearing away obscures a simple truth: difference and division are not the same thing.

 

Making Art Is Keeping Us Sane

RTBC Staff June 26, 2020 2 min read

Neuroscientists have determined that creation can keep you from going Covid crazy, so we asked you to send us the art you’ve made under lockdown. It’s amazing.

Growing a Generation of Young Authors

Gwynne Watkins March 30, 2020 4 min read

Not yet old enough to vote, a new vanguard of teen writers is nonetheless fixing the publishing industry’s representation problem.

The Pandemic Will Be Livestreamed

Eric Krebs March 19, 2020 4 min read

The coronavirus is creating an explosion of quarantined online performance that is unscripted, unshowered and surprisingly uplifting.

This Is What Classical Music Looks Like

Gwynne Watkins February 10, 2020 7 min read

Meet the new generation of talent transforming music’s whitest genre.

An American Revolution at Sing Sing

Gwynne Watkins November 22, 2019 6 min read

A theatrical re-imagining of American independence, right where it’s needed most.

Creative Freedom

Gwynne Watkins November 18, 2019 8 min read

Prisons with art programs release people back into the world who are more stable, and far less likely to return. Why don’t the programs exist everywhere?

Rock-a-Bye Mama

Gwynne Watkins November 7, 2019 9 min read

New moms in difficult situations sometimes find it tough to connect with their babies. Carnegie Hall is helping change that with one of the simplest, most innate tools in the mothering toolbox: lullabies.

The Center is Everywhere: Indonesia!

David Byrne October 15, 2019 4 min read

A collectivist spirit permeates this island nation’s art scene, where artists supporting artists has helped the creative ecology thrive.

Nonstop Art in Lagos

David Byrne September 5, 2019 6 min read

This bustling Nigerian city is bursting at the seams with art fairs, biennials and galleries. Now, some of the artists who left to find work elsewhere are returning home.

India’s Amazing Art Hub

David Byrne August 22, 2019 2 min read

Not long ago I ended up at a biennial in Kochi, a little Indian city with a thriving art scene. Could this be a place where artists can make a living?

How to Build a Creative Ecology

Allison C. Meier August 22, 2019 8 min read

It may be more art than science, but there appear to be a few basic conditions that can help give rise to places where artists can make a living.

The Ecology of Creativity

David Byrne August 13, 2019 4 min read

Is the art world in the midst of a vast diffusion? These days, creative ecologies are proliferating, and the center appears to be everywhere and nowhere.

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