Title: Why Artistic Activism? – The Center for Artistic Activism
Headings: Why Artistic Activism?
Why Artistic Activism?
Why Artistic Activism: Nine Reasons
1: Artistic Activism Mobilizes Affect and Effect
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2: Artistic Activism Thrives in the Contemporary Landscape
3: Artistic Activism Has Been Used Throughout History
4: Artistic Activism Creates Openings
5: Artistic Activism is Accessible
6: Artistic Activism Stimulates a Culture of Creativity
7: Artistic Activism Energizes People and Organizations
8: Artistic Activism is About the Long Game
9: Artistic Activism is Peaceful and Persuasive
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Content: Artistic activism creates an opportunity to bypass seemingly fixed political ideas and moral ideals and remap cognitive patterns. Surprise is a moment when hearts can be touched and minds reached, and both changed. Artistic Activism’s ability to escape easy categorization is a benefit in societies where protest is commonplace. Whereas traditional forms of protest, like marches, need to constantly increase in size or scope, or descend into violence, to become noticed (and newsworthy), the creative innovation at the heart of artistic activism provides something uncommon, or out of place, that can attract attention and become memorable. The boundary slippage of artistic activism works equally well in repressive regimes where overt political protest is prohibited, yet artistic practices are tolerated. Slipping under the radar, artistic activism is not identified as “politics” to authorities while still being able to communicate a social message to the public. 5: Artistic Activism is Accessible
“I’m not political,” is a phrase one hears often; it’s a rare person, however, that doesn’t express themself through some form of creativity. We go dancing on the weekends, perform songs in our churches, compose raps with our friends, make memes for social media, customize bicycles, assemble scrapbooks, sew quilts, and prepare dinners for the table.