Creative activism

SHIFT

INTRODUCTION

In 2018, a teenager from Sweden named Greta captured the hearts and minds of many as she decided to skip school as a form of protest against inaction in the face of a climate crisis.

While boycotts have always been a traditional method, there was power in the actions of a schoolgirl giving up her education, but teaching the whole world something. Her little act of creative activism started a global movement led by teenagers and children. Soon enough, she lent her voice at some of the world’s largest stages where no one could ignore the call to arms of an entire generation. This isn’t just an event, it’s a sign of the times.

Where things are going

Activism

Then

Civil
Disobedience

Now

Digital
Activism

Later

Creative
Activism

Communication

Then

Flyers

Now

Social Media

Later

Creative Mass
Struggles

Places of Activism

Then

Town Hall

Now

Social media

Later

Phygital

In the run-up to the recently concluded US presidential election, when the #blacklivesmatter movement was in full swing, Tiktok and K-Pop fans came together to achieve something remarkable. They encouraged each other to file more than half a million ticket requests for a Trump rally, leading organizers to think that it would be a sold-out event. In reality, only 6000 out of 19000 seats were filled. Far from being a clever prank, it was a successful form of protest.

SHIFT