The Knowledge Building Initiative (KBI) maps critical relations and histories of the National Performance Network, which focuses on partnerships, community, cultural policy, heritage, and cultural equity. KBI is producing a series of videos and white papers/articles documenting and speaking to the past-present-future of this influential national arts network.

The National Performance Network and Visual Artists Network (NPN) seeks to provide risk-taking performing and visual artists with the resources needed to develop and tour new work, to ensure arts leaders have the skills and opportunities to be change-makers in the arts presenting field, and to influence cultural policy for more just and artist-centered practices.

The Knowledge Building Initiative was awarded an OUR TOWN grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 2017 for Creative Placemaking Research and Archiving.