Arts Disaster and Crisis Preparedness Conference 2026

In the face of pervasive disasters, both natural and socially constructed, people are looking for trauma-informed practices that they can use in their teaching, research, and everyday lives.


This workshop will teach one method that museum curator Rachel Hooper developed in conversation with an interdisciplinary group of humanities researchers at Indiana University’s Institute for Advanced Study. Participants will learn various definitions of trauma, practice identifying vulnerabilities in individuals and communities, and define clear strategies for mitigating some of the effects of disasters. These techniques are based in the arts, humanities, and social sciences but have broad implications for anyone who has been profoundly harmed or works closely with impacted communities. This is a people-centered method of preparedness that can be employed at any stage of a catastrophe.