Taking Up Space: Conversations About Digital Activism

A brilliant panel of artists and activists explore the mainstreaming of allyship and how it impacts radical changemaking.

An image of Roseanna smiling into the camera in front of a dark background. Roseanna is wearing a red overshirt, black t-shirt and a silver round necklace. Roseanna has long dark hair.

By Roseanna Dias
16 Nov 2020

 

This is a recording of a live event that took place on YouTube on Thursday November 26 2020. Watch via the video link above.

About the event:

Why occupy social media platforms for social activism? What happens when you use capitalist platforms to fight against a capitalist system? And how can we reimagine what our protests and online spaces look like? Join our panel as they discuss these questions and much more. 

Meet the Panel:

Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley

Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley is an artist working in animation, sound, performance and video games to communicate the experiences of being a Black trans person. Their practice focuses on recording the lives of Black trans people, intertwining lived experience with fiction to imaginatively retell trans stories. Throughout history, Black queer and trans people have been erased from the archives. Because of this, it is necessary not only to archive our existence, but also the many creative narratives we have used and continue to use to share our experiences.

Tori Tsui

Tori Tsui

Tori Tsui is an intersectional climate activist and mental health advocate. Tori worked with Stella McCartney, who sponsored her to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, which led to Unite For Climate Action – a project Tori is working on with LAC youth climate experts. Tori also hosts a podcast called Bad Activist, discussing navigating the pressures of perfect activism in an imperfect world.

Image of Grace smiling at the camera, with blond shoulder length hair and a pink and black adidas tracksuit top over a black and white top.

Grace Kress

Grace Kress, the founder of Shelby X Studios, which merges art and activism to build community, create educational resources and share accessible information that counters harmful mainstream narratives. Working with groups such as Justice for Grenfell, Women Against Rape, Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism, and the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Defense Campaign UK, Shelby X Studios have created a wide range of campaign materials including posters, flyers, badges, banners and clothing, and will be launching a new art x activism e-zine in January 2021.

Josephine Gyasi

Josephine Gyasi

Josephine Gyasi is a Creative Producer and Director who speaks honestly about challenging subjects, promotes social change, and raises the voices of under-represented people. This year she is co-ordinating the virtual programme for Black Girl Convention and, as part of Rising Arts Collective’s #WhoseFuture campaign, launched a powerful video of her poem What are your plans?. Josephine says: “This is a clear message to every non-Black person on the planet, especially to those who exist with the most power and the most privilege: the white man. It’s time for action.”

Taking Up Space: Conversations About Digital Activism 5

Roseanna Dias

The event was curated and hosted by Roseanna Dias, a Bristol-based producer, curator and facilitator, interested in creativity and social change.

 

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An image of Roseanna smiling into the camera in front of a dark background. Roseanna is wearing a red overshirt, black t-shirt and a silver round necklace. Roseanna has long dark hair.
Image of Grace looking at the camera and smiling. She has blond hair and is wearing a pink adidas top and printed black tee.
Image of Tori Tsui smiling at camera, outside in natural light, with a jumper that says 'SOS'. The 'O' in SOS is a picture of the planet.
Image of Josephine Gyasi outside, looking at the camera with attitude, beside a billboard that asks 'What Are Your Plans? She is wearing a red adidas tracksuit and white crop top.
Image of Josephine Gyasi outside, looking at the camera with attitude, beside a billboard that says 'The blood is on your hands...So, Mr White Man, What Are Your Plans? She is wearing a red adidas tracksuit and white crop top.
Game graphic of a blocky figure in dark greys and browns, with three eyes peeping out of a grey balaclava. The top background is black with a red 'play' button and the bottom background is green and what appears to be a car.
Game graphic of a black figure with wild yellow hair against a green patterned background. The drawing is roughly hewn with pink lips and eyes, and the words 'stop looking for it' where their breasts are.
Image of Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley looking sideways at the camera. She has natural afro hair and is wearing a long black cardigan.
Image of Josephine Gyasi outside, looking at the camera with attitude, beside a billboard that asks What Are Your Plans? She is wearing a red adidas tracksuit and white crop top.

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