Artivism_Art activism

Creative Activism: Start Here

Suggestions from the Commons Librarians about resources to explore in the Arts & Creativity topic area – to help you bring more art and heart to your social change activities.

Screenshot of a presentation title slide. The heading reads 'How to recruit more people.' There is a oval around the word recruit and a line under more. At the top in smaller writing it reads 'An organising storytelling lab'.

How to Recruit more People: Lessons from Rukiya in 350 Kenya

Rukiya, a 350.org organiser in Kenya, shares stories of how they recruited people for the African DeCOALinise Campaign.

Front cover of a booklet. Illustration of birds eye view of people standing in a circle holding a parachute together. One person is looking up with their hands up in the air. The text reads a better world is paintable: how to make banners, stencils, street murals, parachute banners and more!

A Better World is Paintable: How to make banners, stencils, street murals, parachute banners, and more!

Tools, skills, and resources from 350.org to build capacity to run effective campaigns and movements to tackle the climate crisis.

Three people at a table outside with white tablecloth that has word BlackRock on it. The people are eating fake money. A banner in the background says When the last tree is dead, the last fish is caught and the last river is poisoned, you will realise that you cannot eat money. The woman seated on the left wears a sign on her chest that reads BlackRock is the real enemy.

“You can’t eat money”: An interview with Extinction Rebellion activist Jo Flanagan

Interview with an Extinction Rebellion activist about a protest against BlackRock in 2019. She explains how the action was conceptualised, organised & run.

How Artistic Activism can move us Toward a Better Future

A new book called “The Art of Activism” provides a deep dive on the process, principles, history and practice of artistic activism.

Lines of Resistance: What can the Old Left offer today’s creatives?

Lines of Resistance: A Symposium on Media, Arts & Activism that profiles research on the role of media and visual arts in activist movements.

crowd of holographic protestors walking on street at night with protest signs

Creative activism: Hologram protest

The practicalities and possibilities of using holograms to challenge and subvert anti-protest laws are explored in this case study from Spain.

Four women dressed up in hats, pearls with a 'prim' look.

Humorous Political Stunts: Nonviolent Public Challenges to Power

An exploration of how creative activists combine humour with seriousness via stunts to create change, including case study – John Howard Ladies’ Auxiliary Fan Club.

Photograph of a billboard advertising Winfield cigarettes. The billboard advertising reads 'Anyhow... Winfield 25s'. Graffiti has been inserted so it reads 'Anyhow buga up a Winfield 25'.

Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions (BUGA UP) campaigns against tobacco advertising, Australia, 1978-1994

Civil disobedience actions reversed tobacco advertising messages to show the negative health effects of cigarettes.

Protestors wearing masks and holding placards gathering for a Black Lives Matter rally.

Make Change: How-To’s for Effective Peaceful Protest

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement this article includes tips and links to make what you need for safe, peaceful, and effective protest. Includes signs, effigies, banners, street art, ways to manage pepper spray and tear gas, surveillance considerations and interactions with police liaison.

hands holding smartphone taking a photo of artwork on brick wall

Hopepunk: Strategies for Serious Urban Play

Dr Troy Innocent from RMIT University presented at the Activism @ The Margins 2020 Conference about using urban play as a strategy of change and resistance in public space.

Statue David with gloves, mask and hazmat suit on coughing

Coronavirus COVID-19 related art to use for your campaigns

Do you need to find images & artwork related to COVID-19? Here is a list of websites where you can find coronavirus-COVID-19 art to use for your campaigns.

The art of inclusivity: Using art to welcome new migrant communities

How can you engage different groups in your communities? Run an art project! Dr Tammy Wong ran an art project in 2019 to engage new immigrants in Melbourne – using art as a tool to build inclusivity.

A young man with red hair and wearing glasses points to a blackboard sign titled 'Melbourne Fringe'. His finger points to the 'Sold Out' sticker next to 'Sustainable Standup'.

The Case for Laughter in Social Movements

Comedian and community organiser Maxwell J Smith writes about how our movements and campaigns need art, creativity and laughter.

woman kneeling on the ground drawing in chalk the word resist inside yellow circle for a climate action in San Francisco

Top Tips for Advanced Artistic Activism

A clear concise checklist from the Creative Center for Activism of important things to remember when planning an artistic action.

Person dressed up with cow and sign that says 'I fart it is an issue" holding a petition.

The Copenhagen Experiment: Measuring the relative effectiveness of creative vs. conventional forms of activism

The Copenhagen experiment took place in Denmark in 2018 and discovered that creative activism was more effective than conventional forms of activism.

inside a room set up to help with occupy sandy relief. lots of boxes with food and people

Radically Re-Imagining the World as our Climate Changes

Alex Kelly gives a powerful speech about seeing the opportunities and how the arts can help to remake, to reimagine and to redefine our world.

people at climate change march with person holding orange parasol with words "we are the people's climate march"

Parasols of Protest

Activism and Artivism – Sharon France, graphic designer, shares how she created the designs for ‘parasols for protests’ for the People’s Climate March.

The Morning star flag, symbol of West Papuan independence, is flying against a grey cloudy sky. The person who is holding it is in silhouette.

The spirit of Mambesak West Papuan freedom music

An introduction to West Papuan protest songs and the courageous artists and activists behind them.

Ducks For Detainees: Interview about artivism

An interview with Maggie Cowling from Ducks for Detainees which is a group that holds art events to maintain awareness of the plight of offshore detainees.

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