Beauty of Activism is an open collaboration project in response to the events of 2021, advocating for a better future. Curated by Northern School of Art design student from Middlesbrough, Jem Solley, the project will culminate in the 365 Days of Activism for 2021 publication, to be crowd-funded and out in June 2022.
Jem says, ‘Beauty of Activism is a global open collaboration project in response to the events of 2021. The posters submitted will have the chance to be featured in the 365 Days of Activism publication which will be out this summer. The idea behind this was to not only utilise social media platforms such as Instagram to bring people together and share important messages but to encapsulate their work in a timeless publication that can be reflected in years to come. There is constantly something going on in the world and with the abundance of scary news headlines, it can be overwhelming. So by turning to art it helps to dispel the hatred and turn it into something more positive whilst spreading awareness of world issues, such as racism, inequality, homelessness, LGBTQIA+ rights, the list goes on. These posters are not just digital, they can be taken to the streets and used in protests around the country and even around the world.’
‘It is quite similar to one of my first activism projects ‘Deconstruct Your Mind’ an Asian hate awareness campaign and movement which went on to be highly commended in the Creative Conscience Awards last summer, which prompts people to stop and reflect on the racism the AAPI community has faced during - but not exclusively - the Coronavirus pandemic.’
‘I have always been really involved and interested in world events, both positive and negative. I believe it helps to broaden and open your own mind to things you wouldn’t usually be exposed to. This has rapidly increased for me over the last few years whilst being at university I have tailored most if not all my projects in the direction of activism to use my creative voice to help raise awareness of certain issues which might not get the attention it needs. Also, as young people we have to speak up about things we feel passionate about, that is how we ignite change. The more people which speak up about an issue such as women’s safety the more likely it is for us to be heard and make a difference. This is the general sort of idea for Beauty of Activism.’
‘I think it is important to know that change starts with one person and that no one should ever feel like they can’t make a difference in the world because if you are passionate enough about something then you’re already halfway there.’
‘I am constantly learning new things throughout this project, researching in depth about these issues was eye-opening. For example, I feel like when you see headlines surrounding recent events such as the spiking epidemic which is currently happening, it overwhelmed you with the negatives, which is not completely untrue, but researching further I found out about local nonprofit organisations like the Women’s Street Watch who go out of their own way to keep women safe in their hometowns. There are plenty of these kinds of stories that help to bring hope to this scary world we find ourselves in.’
‘My main aim for this project is to get a wide variety of submissions surrounding different topics, so far we have had posters about; Women’s Safety, the Humanitarian Crisis in Belarus, Climate Change, LGBTQIA+ Rights, and just general positive art. It would be amazing if these submissions could keep rolling in. So that this publication as well as the Instagram account and website can feature creatives who want to ignite change from all over the world, and from all different backgrounds. Which not only would help them to be seen on a wider scale but also to help spread awareness and change with their creative voices.’
Download a handy template to place your designs here and submissions are open until April 2022. Simply email to beautyofactivism@gmail.com or use the hashtag #beautyofactivism and tag @beautyofactivism on Instagram.
You can follow Jem’s Design Instagram for updates @virtualsanityy and see her portfolio/website at jemsolley.cargo.site
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