Founded in 1986, the Humanities Institute presents a thematic program each semester on a topic related to the humanities. As part of Scripps’ tradition of interdisciplinary education, this program includes lectures, conferences, exhibitions, performances, and film series bringing prominent and younger cutting-edge scholars to campus.

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In this time of great isolation, fear and strife, social tools that offer deep human connection is our superpower and road to healing. Art and Culture in its many shapes and forms is the key to reinstating a deep connection among us as people regardless of cultural and racial divides. In our effort to survive the aftereffects of the pandemic and the over commoditization of all things in life, the “Propagating Cultural Power” series aims to explore efforts from across the country and the world that utilize various cultural practices as tools of dialogue, self/community empowerment, and healing. HI students and the greater Scripps Community will be engaged and hopefully inspired by a diverse group of academics, artists, and creative practitioners that are involved and have developed techniques that include visual art, music, dance, poetry, gastronomy, farming, language, film, digital media and other multimodal approaches to creating critical spaces that strengthen and or instigate dialogue.
Furthermore, rather than situating these practices as something to extract towards the perpetuation of a capitalist model of “upward mobility” we will redirect our thinking to the concept of “outward mobility.” An outward mobility approach to art and culture practices implies a horizontal structure rather than a top-down approach to human and economic connections. “Propagating Cultural Power” thus focuses on sowing the seeds of collective, horizontally structured efforts rooted in art, culture and creativity of all kinds.