Sean Dettman – History In The Pub – Federal Project Number One

In the wake of the financial crash in 1929, the United States sank into an economic depression that gripped much of the country. In order to deal with the crisis, newly elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt launched his New Deal for the American people that offered a financial and social lifeline to many struggling Americans. Included in Roosevelt’s New Deal was Federal Project Number One aimed at subsidising unemployed musicians, writers, actors and artists with federally sponsored projects. Federal Project Number One was divided into five different sections, including the Federal Art Project (FAP). The Federal Art Project had two aims: 1) that in time of need the artist, no less than the manual worker, is entitled to employment as an artist and  2) that the arts, no less than business, agriculture, and labor, are and should be considered essential to everyday life. This lecture explores how the Federal Art Project helped communities find new ways of thinking and healing through public art programmes.

Sean Dettman is a lecturer at University College Jersey (UCJ) in partnership with the University of Plymouth and Director of the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies (JICAS) in partnership with the University of Exeter. His main areas of interest are Twentieth Century US History and Literature and Twentieth Century Anglo-American Social and Political History. He and Bram Wanrooj host regular ‘History In The Pub’ sessions on Monday nights at The Pierson Pub.