Creative Activism: a pedagogical and research tool

Abstract

Environmental activism has a long history in protest, addressing issues of degradation and segregation that threaten existing ecologies, social and built fabrics. Environmental activism is traditionally understood as a reaction, chiefly by groups of people, against a perceived external threat. In the 60’s and 70’s, an activist stance began to emerge in the work of some artists and architects, who used creative methods such as performances, happenings, temporary spatial interventions etc to convey their political/aesthetic messages. Some of this work engaged directly with communities but predominantly it was the production of one individual working ‘outside’ society. However such actions demonstrated not only the power of the visual in conveying a political message but also the potential of conceptual creative approaches to reveal alternative values and hidden potentials. This marked a shift from activism as protestation towards an activism of reconceptualisation. Recently, activist groups have developed a more politically informed process. Whilst their ‘tools’ may resemble work from the 60’s and 70’s, their methodologies are nontraditional, ’rhizomatic’, pedagogical and fluid; working alongside, rather than against, the established power and funding structures. Such creative processes build new, often unexpected, stakeholder networks; offer neutral spaces in which contentious issues can be faced; and create better understanding of values and identities. They can also lead to permanent improvements and development in the physical fabric. This paper will discuss a pedagogical example of activism in architectural education. The event (www.fourdaysontheoutside.com) is in its fifth year of existence and as such has revealed a value and impulse beyond its learning and teaching value. The paper will discuss how the event contributes to the university’s outreach programme and how its structure acts as a seedbed for potential research projects and partnerships. UK Universities talk extensively about applied research but have few actual strategies by which to generate it. Fourdaysontheoutside offers some potential ways forward.

Considering Craft- and Arts-Based Practitioner Inquiry Activities as a Prompt for Transforming Practice

“…Rethinking and repositioning are stimulated by creative activism. Aesthetic messages, as a form of creative activism, have the potential to communicate with an audience beyond the usual and mundane and, potentially, bring about change (Morrow, 2007). In this text, we argue that craft-and arts-based procedures, as examples of aesthetic communication, have the potential to inspire new ways of being and doing in the context of student support activities in higher education environments.…”

Changes in Climate Driving Changes in Architectural Education

“…In a similar way to 'live projects', described as projects that engage real users in real-time contexts, and encourage students to become active citizens of a given community (Morrow, 2008), the project asked students to focus on the existing campus buildings and take a leadership role by devising strategies for reducing the Faculty's GHG emissions. The existing built environment will need to be part of a long term solution to climate change because of the relatively long life of buildings and slow rate of renewal (relative to consumer items such as clothing or electronic equipment).…”

“…Unlike many typical design projects where students use drawings, models and other representations to propose an imagined solution, this project asked students to actually create change on campus. This provided an opportunity for students to practise initialising, or positive activism which puts tangible change into place, rather than protest activism which is typically based on fighting against something (Morrow, 2008). In the weeks when the interventions began, the profile of climate change was substantially raised on campus.…”

“…The importance of forming partnerships with local communities as a way to expand architectural education opportunities and also benefit the community through civic involvement by students is discussed by Morrow (2008). In this project, a local non-governmental organisation and city council were active in providing critique and prizes.…”

Education as mediation: Blurring the line between expert and lay knowledge

“…Morrow Figure 2. Diagram of the leveraged opportunities using a participatory design framework to build relationships between community, university, museum, municipality and individuals (2007) 8 discusses the importance of forming partnerships with local communities as a way to expand architectural education opportunities and also benefit communities through civic involvement by students. Live projects are those that engage real citizens in real-time contexts, and encourage students to become active citizens of a community dedicated to cultural and ecological health.…”