Every year, Arts Help selects industry disruptors with a passion for making a positive global impact to be a part of the advisory team. Joining the Arts Help Board of Advisors this year is music industry pioneer Rachel Jackson, who is currently an artist relations manager with YouTube Music’s global artist relation team. Throughout her career, Jackson has worked hard to provide creatives with the tools and resources they need to achieve their goals, placing great value on building deep relationships with her partners.
What is your background/role with Arts Help?
My professional expertise lies within the music industry, artist relations, entertainment strategy and partnerships management.
How do you see the relationship between art and global activism?
Art is the wind beneath the wings of global activism and allows artists to creatively express themselves, while simultaneously promoting needs that humanity should pay close attention to.
How does art play a role in your daily life?
Not a day goes by where I don’t see everything happening around me as an art form. I live, breathe and express art on a daily basis; it’s the source of my daily “Why?”.
What is your favorite piece of art? Why?
“Revelations”, by Alvin Ailey.
When I was in middle school, members of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater hosted a week-long dance clinic at Inman Middle School with all of the students interested in dance theory and movement. During that time, dancers from the company taught us excerpts of “I Been ‘Buked”, “Rocka My Soul In the Bosom of Abraham” and “Wade In the Water”. At the end of the week, we attended the ballet at the FOX Theatre; I was ecstatic. Watching dancers that I met and learned from during the clinic created my undying connection with Revelations.
Of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which do you relate to most?
I relate most to Partnerships for the Goals and Zero Hunger.
How can we help push forward the UN SDGs in our everyday lives?
We push the Sustainable Development Goals forward by understanding what they are, who they impact and how vital they are to the future of our globe, first. Then, we turn that understanding into a commitment to daily action, no matter how big or small.
Any final advice for young artists and activists?
Remain curious, question everything that doesn't make sense to you instantly, meet challenges with grace and tenacity. Always strive to be excellent in everything that you give your energy to. Unsubscribe from problems, specialize in solutions.