Art and Activism

Some thoughts on creative approaches to campaigning

Green hearts I made several years ago, more about them in the article

I’ve been thinking a lot, recently, about the connections between art and activism (inspired largely by two art exhibitions and a book, all of which I mention below). It’s well known that taking a creative approach to campaigning means that people are more likely to be engaged and enthused and thus more likely to take action on the issues that matter to them.

At the weekend, I went along to the Resistance exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland Modern 2 Gallery, which is well worth catching if you’re in Edinburgh between now and early January. Described as “How protest shaped Britain and photography shaped protest”, it offers an overview of photojournalism covering all types of British protests including environmental protests including the protests against birds being killed so their feathers could be used in hats that lead to the formation of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)); the 1932 mass trespass on Kinder Scout that highlighted the lack of public access to open spaces; and the 1971 Friends of the Earth Bottle Dump that protested the withdrawal of returnable bottles by a major drinks brand. This article gives a very interesting analysis of the legacy of that last campaign, questioning how successful it was - after all it didn’t result in the drinks company bringing back returnable bottles, though it did raise the profile of Friends of the Earth and also created photos that have become iconic in the history of creative protesting.

Another exhibition in Edinburgh that covers similar issues though from a very different angle is Making a Statement: Craft & Activism in Edinburgh, which is on at The Museum of Edinburgh until 26 January. The exhibits, displayed in several rooms scattered throughout this wonderful historical building, showcase local examples of craftivism including crochet, knitting, lacemaking, collage and more addressing issues including the environment, politics, mental health, feminism and city development.

I enjoy crafting and have taken part in a fair amount of protest in my time (more so when I was younger, particularly in my student days). However, I’ve not often been involved in craftivism as such, one exception being the green hearts that I’ve made over the years for the Climate Coalition’s Show the Love campaign. This campaign happens around Valentine’s Day and asks people to make green hearts to show their love for nature, and to share these with decision makers to demonstrate that we do care about nature and want our politicians to care too. More recently, I volunteered for the Butterfly Conservation Trust at the Wild Wings of Hope event at the National Museum of Scotland, I helped children to make butterfly finger puppets and helped them and their parents learn more about butterflies and how we can help them. By making a finger puppet myself before the event started and wearing it on my finger at all times, I was able to attract people to the stall, without having to do any of that awkward trying to catch people’s eyes as they go past that I find the worst thing about staffing an information stall.

One of the books I’m reading at the moment fits in with this theme too! The Art of Activism is an inspiring how-to manual, written by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert. It covers the history of creative activism and offers tips on how to create your own projects. It comes with an accompanying online workbook, full of exercises! You can download the worksbook (for free!) here.