The arts are a force for cultural and political change.
From The Jungle to An Inconvenient Truth, the arts have the power to reach broad audiences. Fenton creates campaigns for films, books, and other cultural products that translate awareness into action.
Generating Buzz for “Tavis Smiley” on PBS
The Challenge: Tavis Smiley is a nationally known media personality. But he wanted his signature PBS show, “Tavis Smiley” — and the spotlight it shines on current events and social issues — to have a greater impact in the popular mainstream.
Harnessing Hollywood to Set the Record Straight on Climate Change
The Challenge: When Fenton got wind that The Day After Tomorrow was slated for release in 2004, we knew we had a golden opportunity on our hands. The blockbuster movie about the effects of climate disaster showed Los Angeles getting wiped out by tornadoes, Tokyo hammered by hailstones and a tsunami wave burying New York under 50 feet of ice. Fiction, yes, but a great opportunity to raise awareness and drive action on the real threat of global warming.
Closing the Pundit Gender Gap
The Challenge: On the Sunday morning political talk shows, women represent only 14% of guest appearances. Ask journalists why they don’t quote and feature women experts more and they’ll tell you they don’t know any.
California Stories: Reading The Grapes of Wrath
The Challenge: The California Council for the Humanities wanted Californians to read The Grapes of Wrath as part of its mission to highlight the role of humanities in our lives. But how to convince people to read a 500-page novel about the Depression-era dust bowl?
