As the founder of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice in Evanston, Illinois, Michael Rohd knows a thing or two about how art can change the world.

The award-winning theatre professor will present his talk, “The Arts as Civic Practice: Listening is the New Revolution” on Thursday, April 21 in Richmond.

The free lecture is part of Lulu Series: Art in the City, a series of public forums that speak to the importance of art to citizens, community, and civic engagement. 

As a professor at Northwestern University, Rohd leads the school's masters of fine arts directing program, but outside of his primary role, Rohd has contributed to the art and theatre world in a variety of ways.

His book, Theatre for Community, Conflict and Dialogue, was written in 1998 and has since been widely translated, offering educators and directors alike tips on how to create a dialogue that will lead young people to open up and explore their feelings through theatre.

Through the Center for Performance and Civic Practice, Rohd founded Sojourn Theatre, a 15-person ensemble theatre company that functions as a testing ground for exploring arts-based community practices.

His work with Sojourn sees Rohd writing and directing new pieces that are put up across the United States. He also works with universities and theatres to mount location-specific shows that are based on adaptations of the company's production, How To End Poverty in 90 Minutes.

Rohd is also currently the artist-in-residence at Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. 

In 2015, Rohd was awarded both the Otte Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre and the Robert Gard Foundation Award for Excellence.

He's recently developed and led projects with organizations including Americans for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Steppenwolf Theatre. 

During his April 21 talk, Rohd will address the various ways that artistic collaboration with communities can affect social change.

Rohd's talk will be the second of three events in the Lulu Series: Art in the City program. On May 19, artist Norie Sato of Seattle will tell audiences about the creative process behind her site-specific works for public spaces.

All events are free and will take place at Richmond City Hall Council Chambers (6911 No. 3 Rd) at 7 p.m. For more information, click here.