National Artist Safety Survey

What is ARC - Artists at Risk Connection, and who is partnering for this survey

ARC - Artists at Risk Connection is a global organization that defends artistic freedom and cultural rights as fundamental human rights. ARC protects artists and cultural workers at risk due to their creative expression, often tied to their identities or roles in their communities. Since its founding in 2017, ARC has provided more than 2,100 artists and cultural workers in over 60 countries with vital resources and direct assistance. ARC is not a stand-alone organization but a connector at the center of a network of more than 400 partners committed to defending artists and cultural workers.

This initiative to conduct The National Artist Safety Survey and adapt ARC’s Safety Guide for Artists to the United States (U.S.) context would not be possible without the direct collaboration and critical input from close partner organizations. You can find a full list of partner organizations supporting this survey on the ARC website.

Why we are doing this survey

With threats to artistic and creative expression increasing in the U.S., ARC is preparing an adaptation of its Safety Guide for Artists for the U.S. context. Originally published in 2021, the guide is a practical resource that helps artists and cultural workers recognize risks, respond to threats, and safeguard both their creative work and personal well-being.

Your responses to this survey will directly shape the new U.S. guide. By sharing your experiences, you will help us identify the most urgent challenges, the resources artists and cultural workers already rely on, and the gaps that must be filled. Together, we can create a guide that truly reflects the realities of artists and cultural workers in the U.S. and strengthens protections for the whole community.

What you will do

If you decide to participate, you will complete an online survey that takes approximately 10 minutes. You will be asked questions about your background, artistic work, and experiences over the last 12 months involving risks, threats, or safety concerns.

Because risks and threats are not the same for everyone, we ask participants to share information about their identity (including gender, sexuality, race, disability, and location). These questions are essential to understanding how different communities of artists and cultural workers are affected and to shaping a safety guide that is responsive to the full diversity of our creative community.

We know these questions are personal, and we are deeply grateful for your willingness to answer them and share your experiences with ARC. With your crucial feedback, we can build stronger protections for all artists and cultural workers.

Your choice to participate

Taking this survey is completely voluntary. You can skip any question you don’t want to answer, and you can stop at any time.test

Privacy and confidentiality

Your answers will be kept strictly confidential, and all data will be made anonymous. We will not collect names or contact information. When results are reported, your survey responses will be combined with others and summarized in aggregate. This ensures that no individual can be identified.

Anonymized aggregated results, statistical analysis, and other findings may be used as standalone products of the survey along with the adapted Safety Guide for Artists. These may be shared with partner organizations and/or published by ARC as a means to raise awareness about threats, attacks, resources, and gaps in the field of protecting artists and cultural workers and artistic freedom.

A note of care

Some questions may touch on personal experiences or bring up difficult memories, especially if you have faced threats or attacks as a result of your artistic expression and/or identities. Feel free to stop the survey at any time if it feels overwhelming.

Why your response matters

By completing this survey, you are helping to shape the first U.S. Safety Guide for Artists —a practical resource designed to help artists and cultural workers withstand threats and strengthen resilience. Your voice will contribute to building stronger protections, deeper support systems, and greater solidarity among artists and cultural workers across the country.

Together we are stronger, and your participation is a vital step in creating a safer future for the entire creative community.

Questions & Technical Difficulties

If you have any questions about this project or encounter technical difficulties, please contact Patrick Bond, Program Officer at pbond@artistsatriskconnection.org