Travelers Art Speaks: Advancing Inclusion through the Arts

Travelers invests millions of dollars annually to support arts and cultural organizations that help keep our communities vibrant and culturally enriched. We believe that arts and cultural organizations help drive economic growth, enhance learning and build multicultural understanding – leading to more accepting and inclusive communities.

Launched in 2018, Travelers Art Speaks is an employee-focused program that leverages Travelers’ investment in arts and cultural organizations to spark meaningful and thought-provoking conversations with participating employees. This initiative engages participating employees in discussions that help drive civil discourse, encourage deep multicultural exploration and promote unity. More than 5,200 participants have been reached by Travelers Art Speaks experiences.

Through Travelers Art Speaks, employees can enjoy in-person or virtual artistic experiences, followed by discussions led and facilitated by diversity and inclusion professionals, drawing on themes related to diversity and inclusion. Arts and cultural experiences vary; employees are exposed to different forms of artistic expression, including live theater, visual arts, dance, photography and music.

In 2023, Travelers hosted several Travelers Art Speaks events focused on culture and diversity and inclusion:

• Art & Activism at Tougaloo College. We hosted an exhibit at the Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford focused on allyship and the intersection of modern art and social justice.
• Espejos: Clean. We sponsored a bilingual production at the Hartford Stage. Employees were invited to view the show and participate in a post-performance discussion with the Hartford Stage’s artistic director.
• Shane. We sponsored a play about reimagining the western frontier at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Employees were invited to view the show and participate in a post-production discussion with the lead actor and playwright.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. We hosted a virtual dance demonstration to celebrate Black History Month with the historic dance ensemble.
• Homage. We celebrated Juneteenth through a virtual commemoration event featuring an interactive exhibit that explores the significance of Juneteenth through African American historical artifacts.
• Tuskegee Airmen: Their Untold Stories. We sponsored a new, permanent exhibit at the New England Air Museum in Connecticut that tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and shares their World War II and post-war experiences through their own testimonies and those of their children. Employees were invited to view the exhibit and participate in a discussion with museum staff.

Community benefits

• Arts and cultural organizations benefit from Travelers’ sponsorship and gain visibility among Travelers employees.
• In partnership with Travelers, these nonprofit organizations are developing their diversity and inclusion curricula and building capacity for engaging other audiences in similar discussions.

Travelers benefits

• Travelers Art Speaks supports the company’s ongoing efforts to build an inclusive culture through conversations and opportunities that bridge differences among employees with diverse life and career experiences.
• Surveys completed by participating employees show that 89% feel the arts and cultural programs provide an effective tool for communicating themes related to diversity and inclusion.