According to Ukrainian folk wisdom,
“A word is not a sparrow…
once it flies out, you won’t catch it.”
As the words in this audiobook fly out around the world, no one can catch them – especially those who would choose to quash them, along with the very notion of Ukrainian culture and identity.
We are members of PANA, the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association, and we are donating our work to support the artists of Ukraine.
This extraordinary anthology of stories, brought to life by the Ukraine Audiobook Relief Project, features a diverse and talented group of narrators who illuminate the rich tapestry of Ukrainian storytelling. The stories cover an array of experiences, ranging from tales of immigrant grandparents to traditional Cossack folktales. The diversity of the full cast mirrors the rich cultural and emotional landscapes of the Ukrainian writers. Barry Abrams, Jennifer Jill Araya, Andrea Emmes, and their colleagues convey a wide range of emotions—from the haunting and melancholic to the hopeful and uplifting. Listeners can be certain they are supporting artists whose lives have been deeply affected by the ongoing conflict. Their stories are told with passion and authenticity. M.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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About ARC
Freedom of artistic expression is a fundamental human right and an indicator of a healthy and free society. But artistic freedom is under assault: autocratic regimes fear artists because they express cultural identity, advance new ideas, promote dialogue, and bear witness to inhumanity.
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) safeguards the right to artistic freedom of expression and ensures that artists and cultural professionals everywhere can live and work without fear. Our ultimate goal is to address the needs of artists at risk and the organizations that serve them.
ARC primarily achieves this by:
- ASSISTING persecuted artists by connecting them to our growing global network of resources
- FACILITATING cooperation among human rights and art organizations
- AMPLIFYING the stories and work of at-risk artists as well as raising visibility of the field of artistic freedom
ARC serves artists of all disciplines as well as cultural professionals. Our definition of “artist” is inclusive, encompassing those who work across any creative field or medium, including visual artists, musicians, cartoonists, filmmakers, performance artists, dancers, writers, etc. Visual artists account for 62% of total requests for assistance.
Since its inception in 2017, ARC has assisted more than 500 individual artists and cultural professionals from over 63 countries by connecting them to a wide range of services, most frequently including emergency funds, legal assistance, temporary relocation programs, and fellowships. Thanks to a core network of over 70 partners, over 50% of them have already received direct support.
ARC is a project of PEN America. Standing at the intersection of literature and human rights, PEN America has been championing freedom of expression since 1922. It is the largest of more than 140 chapters of PEN International.