Artist as Catalyst
Artist As Catalyst LA - 2026
Program dates: June 12 – 14, 2026
Location: Santa Monica, CA
The application is now closed.
Artist as Catalyst brings together some of LA’s most influential artists, cultural leaders, activists, and peace builders, featuring world-class talent and thinkers who are at the forefront of their fields.
Please follow us @The_Peace_Studio and sign up for the Newsletter to receive the most up-to-date news on program opportunities.
What is Artist as Catalyst?
Artist as Catalyst (AAC) is The Peace Studio’s flagship regional initiative designed to equip young storytellers, artists, and cultural catalysts (ages 18–30) with the tools, opportunity, and community to use their craft in the service of peacebuilding. Hosted in different cities across the US, AAC is a multi-day immersive experience that supports early-career artists, journalists, and creative leaders across disciplines in cultivating identity-rooted storytelling, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cultural transformation.
Built upon years of iteration and rooted in local context, the AAC program blends artistic rigor with restorative practices. Participants engage in a unique blend of workshops, keynotes, collaborative labs, and community events—all within a dynamic and diverse environment. With city-specific creative direction and cross-cohort follow-up support, AAC fosters a new generation of artist-leaders using story to shift culture and activate change.
All three days of programming are fully funded with no charge to the participants.
HEAR FROM OUR CATALYSTS…
“Sustainability is about community. The most important tool I gained from the program was exactly that…now I have people to reach out to about my art, to create together, people I can look up to. In Miami you can be successful, and now I am connected to people that exemplify that.“
“The program has helped me envision new ways to elevate what I am already doing by adding a deeper meaning.”
“This program made me realize that so many of my ideas can further help the artistic community in Miami, and they can actually be pitched to organizations and brought to fruition.”
“Hearing from successful individuals from so many organizations I’m interested in gave me the confidence to ‘shoot my shot.’”
More details on the Artist as Catalyst Program
Catalysts selected for the program take part in:
- Studio classes led by industry professionals from across the country
- Interactive workshops
- Panel discussions with groundbreaking artistic leaders
- A conversation with a VIP Keynote Speaker
- Collaborative projects, open mics, jam sessions and more
The Catalyst program welcomes artists of all disciplines, art forms, and educational backgrounds, as long as they are actively engaged in some sort of creative practice at the time of the program.
The Peace Studio is grateful for the leading support of the Green Family Foundation in Miami and Unlikely Collaborators in Los Angeles in making both of our Artist as Catalyst programs possible.
Want to learn more?
Follow us @The_Peace_Studio and sign up for the Newsletter to receive the most up-to-date news on program opportunities. For all inquiries, contact: info@thepeacestudio.org
2026 Catalysts, Los Angeles
2025 Catalysts, Miami
2025 Catalysts, Los Angeles
