Studying the Creative Dissent, Protest, Activism and Art module has really allowed me to gain a deeper understanding and awareness into what art activism actually is. My favourite area of the module was the fact that we were given the chance to participate in the interactive seminars ( even remotely) as I feel that experience and also the process of studying this module has definitely changed and helped me to develop how I view the world around me. For example, putting aside the time to discover and learn the technique of field sensing allowed me to feel closer to nature in a way I would not have explored before.

That process of discovering and exploring something on a deeper level is something that the module has really forced me to do. After being exposed to so many interesting forms of activism it has led to me seeking out new forms of activism, whether I am trying to find accounts on social media, or artists who campaign through their work. It has made me more passionate and inspired to follow and learn from having those kinds of people in my social media timeline.

The huge range and variety of forms and examples of activism and art is what surprised me the most. In terms of my own blogs, I felt that my strengths personally lay in choosing and immersing myself in the topics and movements that I was most interested in. I found myself raising the topics in group discussions, posing questions and researching further. An engagement that was a lot deeper into those issues than I had previously had. I found that my weaknesses, when writing the blog, came down to not being confident enough to put across too much of my own opinion on such controversial topics. Instead I aimed to write each blog from a positive angle which was my own view on the movements.

The process of writing, creating and publishing my blog is something that has really forced me out of my comfort zone, as I had never used or written a blog in my life. I found that reading lots of blogs on topics both related to the module but also non-related really aided my understanding on how to get my point across effectively. For me, I tailored the design, layout and readability around how I personally would want to read such information. My creative decisions were that of consistency and readability, by having a bold, simple layout.

I used mostly online websites and journals to influence and research my blog topics, due to being unable to access as many books, as a result of the isolation period imposed by coronavirus. I found the idea of promoting change and social awareness through art activism so engaging and it is definitely something that I feel even more passionate about, after studying this module in its entirety and I would absolutely consider this route when choosing the topic for my dissertation in my final year .

Since 1957, ‘Dove Beauty’ has celebrated and cared about women. Dove has made it a huge part of their mission as a company to combat the unrealistic representation of beauty in the media and promote their products through real women.

Show us Campaign…

Dove has done many campaigns along it’s journey, to fight for the accurate representation of women in the media. Looking at the ‘Show us Campaign’ specifically, it was recorded in 2019 that 70% of women still did not feel represented in the media or in advertising.(Dove.com. 2020) Dove set up this campaign called ‘Show us’ alongside Getty images and Girl gaze, with the aim of the campaign to build the largest photo library of images that helps to shatter the beauty stereotypes in the media and advertising.

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Since the start of this worldwide campaign and the release of the advert that goes with it, there is now a bank of over 10,000 photographs taken by photographers all over the world. These photographs are available for use by all media and advertising companies to encourage the use of realistic women and beauty in the media and marketing industry.

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Doves “Real Beauty” Pledge…

• Portraying women as they are in real life
• No filter
• Not unachievable
• No retouching
• Portrays diversity
• Honesty
• Respect
• Identifies the women by name
• Improve body confidence
• Improve self-esteem

Over the last 10 years, Dove has managed to educate 20 million women on issues such as self-esteem and body confidence and is encouraging the next generation of children to grow up with a positive relationship with their bodies and the perception of beauty.

After watching and reading about this campaign I felt inspired to do the same, to take photos of my mum in her natural unedited form. I then asked her a few questions about herself as after watching many dove beauty campaigns during my research, a resounding message was the reluctance in women to admit/ find themselves beautiful, due to the unrealistic portrayal of women in the media all around them.

Over to me…

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Here are the unedited raw photographs that I took, I asked her what her least favourite feature was, to that she responded growing old also that when she was younger she was afraid people viewed her as manly as she was an athlete. When I asked her what her favourite feature was, she was slower to answer, she admitted that she didn’t often look in the mirror and think like that, mostly due to being busy but also not having that self confidence.

The fight for women to feel confident, beautiful and free is far from over but Dove is committed to continuing to question the beauty industry and represent real women and real beauty, not the photoshopped, staged and retouched beauty we are being shown in advertising.

References…

Dove.com. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/dove-real-beauty-pledge.html&gt; [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Victoria Probert. 2020. Dove — Victoria Probert. [online] Available at: <https://www.victoriaprobert.com/dove&gt; [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Pro choice…

Is having the rights to our body something we take for granted?

In England, Scotland and Wales, women are able to legally have an abortion of an unwanted pregnancy at up to 23 weeks plus 6 days of pregnancy. But sadly, in contrast Women in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, the abortion rights are severely restricted. Many have had to take illegal abortion pills or travel oversees to have the procedure carried out. Both options are scary, unsupported and add damage to the women’s mental health. (Abortion Rights Campaign. 2020)

Only recently, on January the 1^st 2019, the Republic of Ireland passed an act that legalises abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy but with a mandatory 3 day wait period in between the doctor’s appointment and the day that the abortion takes place. (Connolly, M., 2019)

Similar restricted terms are present in Northern Ireland, but as of October 2019 the act of abortion is no longer considered a criminal offence. (Connolly, M., 2019) Before then, abortion was only allowed if a women’s life was at risk or there was danger of serious permanent damage to her mental and physical health. This is shocking, that women still had no control over their own bodies even in our modern and liberal 21^st century world.

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How…

There are two options when it comes to aborting a pregnancy

• A medical abortion ( the abortion pill)
• Surgical abortion

The procedure does come with risks, but the earlier that they are carried out, the safer the abortion.

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Who…

The abortion rights campaign is a volunteer group whose goal is to achieve safe, free and legal abortion care. They work at a grass root level to provide education and support around abortion. This includes tackling the stigma, educating the public and making pro-choice visible in the media.

The abortion rights campaign holds many rallies and marches and the annual pro-choice march has been happening in Dublin since 2012.

Pro-choice vs Pro-life is a heavy debate and one that will be continued to be debated far into the future. But for now, the fight for a women to have freedom and choice over her own body is not over yet. There are still flaws in the act that has been passed and they will not stop fighting until the women are safe and fully represented. The future is in the hands of the elected representatives to fix the problems and the only solution is to make them hear.

Get involved…

Sign up – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDVIQOwYwP7jv8-V73lZx9t2goVK3wdCqQvaOG-FUKkiCxBQ/viewform

Contact – info@abortionrights.ie

Follow – https://www.instagram.com/abortion_rightsuk/

Follow – https://www.instagram.com/shoutyourabortion/

References…

Connolly, M., 2019. What Northern Ireland’s Abortion Law Changes Mean. [online] BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50125124&gt; [Accessed 15 April 2020].

Abortion Rights Campaign. 2020. Abortion Law In Ireland. [online] Available at: <https://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/abortion-law-in-ireland/&gt; [Accessed 15 April 2020].

This Girl Can…

Protest and activism can appear in many different forms, for example the “This Girl Can” campaign, run by the Charity Women in Sport, which was founded in 1984 with the vision to give and make available, to all women, the experience and rewards that sport brings.

The campaign was launched in January 2015, throughout the United Kingdom. It started due to the exposure of a 1.9 million gender gap between men and women, when it came to participation in sport.

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Why…

The fear of judgement seems to be the biggest factor among women, when it comes to getting involved in sport. Many will not participate due to feeling inadequate compared to more experienced athletes. Women in Sport fight to spread the message that sport should be for everyone, regardless of gender, race, background, weight and disability.

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How…

This Girl Can champions ‘real women’ and spreads the message that girls and women really can get involved in sport. It is a moving campaign that has motivated many to get more involved in exercise, showing that there are many ways to be active and to get your heart rate up. Urging women that they can break through the barriers that have stopped them in the past.

This Girl Can is heavily focussed on it’s digital and social media presence through ads, tweets and Instagram posts, as well as appearing on billboards and public transport. The aim was to ensure they reached as many women as possible, to help women and girls feel inspired and to realise their potential to participate in sport.

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Success…

In 2016, the stats came back that a total of 37 million people had viewed the campaign, alongside a social following of 600k, plus 660,000 tweets about #thisgirlcan. This brought about a change in attitude for many women as they were called upon to take the challenge and get involved in sport. 2.8 million women aged 14-40, who viewed the This Girl Can campaign, took part in a form of physical exercise. A staggering 150,000 more women started exercising once a week, on a weekly basis. (Analysing the success of ‘This Girl Can’ from Sport England – ClickZ, 2020)

Fast forward to 2020, the campaign as clearly been influential with many more women and girls feeling more confident to get involved in sport.

“No one gets to choose how you exercise other than you. And whatever it looks like we think it’s worth celebrating”

This Girl Can – Twitter

Top Instagrams to follow…

1) https://www.instagram.com/thisgirlcanuk/

2) https://www.instagram.com/iamthatgirl/?utm_source=ig_embed

3) https://www.instagram.com/femalecollective/?utm_source=ig_embed

Get Involved…

References…

Women In Sport. 2020. This Girl Can – Women In Sport. [online] Available at: <https://www.womeninsport.org/about-us/this-girl-can/?gclid=CjwKCAjwp-X0BRAFEiwAheRui5yHK2dUXDAMgQYip7WDw270HH00qc4xhCJ4-bVKBdiJtWMe63vXhxoCErwQAvD_BwE&gt; [Accessed 19 April 2020].

Can, T., 2020. This Girl Can | Sport England. [online] Sportengland.org. Available at: <https://www.sportengland.org/campaigns-and-our-work/this-girl-can&gt; [Accessed 19 April 2020].

ClickZ. 2020. Analysing The Success Of ‘This Girl Can’ From Sport England – Clickz. [online] Available at: <https://www.clickz.com/analysing-the-success-of-this-girl-can-from-sport-england/100914/&gt; [Accessed 19 April 2020].

The History…

‘Black Lives Matter’ is a movement that is fuelled by injustice, a community that campaigns against systematic violence and racism against black people.

The movement massively took off in 2013, through the use of the hashtag #blacklivesmatter, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teen Travyon Martin in February 2012. People were encouraged to tell their stories, let their voices be heard and share solidarity. (BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 – Black Lives Matter, 2020)

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The issues…

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‘Black Lives Matter’ uses both physical and digital protests to shine a light on the issues they fight for. The tactic is to make the viewer feel uncomfortable enough to address the issue. Although this movement is one aimed to fight for those who are being treated with injustice there are some counter hashtags including #AllLivesMatter, saying that we cannot categorise ourselves into specific groups. Another hashtag that has been used is #BlueLivesMatter which is used to express support for the police.

“we’ve committed to struggling together and to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive.”

(BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 – Black Lives Matter, 2020)

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Want to further your understanding and explore black lives matter in more detail? Here are some great accounts to follow and engage with.

Top accounts to follow on instagram…

1) https://www.instagram.com/blklivesmatter/
2) https://www.instagram.com/legallyblackuk/?utm_source=ig_embed
3) https://www.instagram.com/aaron___philip/
4) https://www.instagram.com/kinfolknetwork/
5) https://www.instagram.com/ynotkeeb/?utm_source=ig_embed
6) https://www.instagram.com/mayasworld/?utm_source=ig_embed

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Get involved…

Pledge to vote – https://blacklivesmatter.com/pledge-to-vote/

Register to vote – https://blacklivesmatter.com/register-to-vote/

Sign up for updates – https://blacklivesmatter.com/sign-up-for-updates/

Donate- https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

References…

Black Lives Matter. 2020. BLM’s #Whatmatters2020 – Black Lives Matter. [online] Available at: <https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-matters-2020/&gt; [Accessed 1 April 2020].

En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Black Lives Matter. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter&gt; [Accessed 6 April 2020].

Google.com. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.google.com/search?q=black+lives+matter&sxsrf=ALeKk03qfiQq86iEcKTTk149pksGaRaG6A:1586878164519&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf6rDqnejoAhWJfMAKHYxtC4gQ_AUoAXoECBkQAw&biw=1440&bih=821#imgrc=m1AyGvJFq1DxXM&gt; [Accessed 14 April 2020].

Commons.wikimedia.org. 2020. File:Black Lives Matter Protest.Jpg – Wikimedia Commons. [online] Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Lives_Matter_protest.jpg&gt; [Accessed 14 April 2020].

World Economic Forum. 2020. The Black Lives Matter Movement Explained. [online] Available at: <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/black-lives-matter-movement-explained/&gt; [Accessed 14 April 2020].

Periods…

Still to this day, periods are very much a taboo subject; something we might whisper to our friends about, but never discuss openly in a public forum. Embarrassed, in pain, ashamed. That was what it was like for me, when I was growing up.

In an article published by the BBC it stated that, in the UK, 1 in 10 young women (aged 14-21) are unable to afford period products. A staggering 49% of girls have missed an entire day of school because of their period. (Free sanitary products promised for schools, 2020) This is shocking, but do not despair, this blog aims to highlight all the amazing work being done to help create a future without period poverty.

Imagine not having access to sanitary products: such a necessity yet such a luxury for some.

#FreePeriods

Launched in April 2017 by Amika George, a young British teenager, the movement  ‘Free Period’ called on the UK government to provide free menstrual products to all children who need them. Through talks, meetings, protests and many articles ‘Free Periods’ fight for the fact that every child has a right to their education, and that periods should never, ever be a barrier. Through the provision of free sanitary products and proper education, for both students and teachers, this can become a reality.

The protest against period poverty has been backed by many, most notably by the community of activists that come together to demand action for many causes; The Pink Protest (https://www.instagram.com/pinkprotest/) but in doing so they want to reinvent activism, educate the young that the fight for change can be fun, full of art and creativity. The free Periods campaign (https://www.instagram.com/freeperiods/) also works alongside the red box project ( https://www.instagram.com/theredboxprojectuk/) , a community based, non profit organisation,  who have the same goal of free accessible period products for all.  

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“We have never expected young people to pack their own toilet roll or soap in their schoolbags; it is only right that these equally essential items are also freely available.”

(ENGLISH GOVERNMENT SCHEME — FREE PERIODS, 2020)

The Success…

After many talks with MP’s and protests outside parliament, this is a huge success story. From January 2020, every state funded school and college in England is now eligible to order free period products for their students. This scheme also fights to educate, both the teachers and students, on menstruation, tackling the stigma one period at a time. (London, 2020)

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The Mission Continues…

Finally the success achieved for schools and women in the UK is huge, but the efforts do not stop as period poverty is a massive, very pressing worldwide issue. I urge you to follow the accounts mentioned above and below to join this positive movement towards a period poverty free future.

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5 Great accounts to follow…

Get Involved…

FREE PERIODS

Donate – https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/freeperiods?utm_term=qYa6zwpgy

Follow – https://www.instagram.com/freeperiods/

Contact – https://www.freeperiods.org/contact

References…

FREE PERIODS. 2020. ENGLISH GOVERNMENT SCHEME — FREE PERIODS. [online] Available at: <https://www.freeperiods.org/english-govt-scheme&gt; [Accessed 5 April 2020].

The Pink Protest. 2020. #Freeperiods — The Pink Protest. [online] Available at: <https://www.pinkprotest.org/freeperiods&gt; [Accessed 2 April 2020].

BBC News. 2020. Free Sanitary Products Promised For Schools. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47553449&gt; [Accessed 7 April 2020].

National Schools Partnership. 2020. About You 2019 – 2020 – National Schools Partnership. [online] Available at: <https://nationalschoolspartnership.com/initiatives/about-you/&gt; [Accessed 8 April 2020].

London, B., 2020. ‘We Have Been Waiting For This Day For A Long Time’: Amika George Celebrates Free Period Products In All Schools And Colleges. [online] Glamourmagazine.co.uk. Available at: <https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/free-periods-protest&gt; [Accessed 13 April 2020].

Redboxproject.org. 2020. About. [online] Available at: <http://redboxproject.org/about/&gt; [Accessed 13 April 2020].