Creative media activism - a free, open class #creativact

Between January and March 2012 we (i.e. the Media Department at Coventry School of Art and Design)  launched an undergraduate class focused on Creative Activism. We also made the class freely available online on an open basis to enable anyone worldwide to participate in the class, join in the discussions or even rip and remix our content.

The class explored the potential of creative media activism by encouraging the participants to experiment with creating ‘live’ interventions as well as getting involved in a number of crucial cultural, political and social debates. Over the ten week course we looked at how media activists, creatives and campaigners have used their media knowledge, connections and skills to ask difficult questions, provoke debate and raise awareness of important issues and problems in their local, national and international communities.

We have now put most of the materials from the class on our website: http://www.creativeactivism.net
You can also download the content and participate in the ongoing class discussion through iTunes U and the Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU). Please feel free to share.

If you would like to find out more about the class, and our plans for developing the project, please contact Pete Woodbridge <p.woodbridge@coventry.ac.uk>.

To date, the class has been supported by a range of collaborators and guest speakers, whom we would like to thank. They include:

Emily James: Director of ‘Just Do It’- A Feature Documentary about Climate Change Activism

John Jackson, Activist and Co-author of ‘Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity and Ingenuity Can Change the World

Joey Skaggs, A Prolific New York Based Artist, Culture Jammer and Prankster who uses the Media as his Canvas

James Cook, A Stand-up Comedian who explores what we can learn from Comedy and Satire as a means of Political and Cultural Activism

Sam Gregory, Programme Director and Human Rights Advocate at WITNESS, whose work addresses the importance of video and change

Tessa Houghton, Assistant Professor in Media and Communications, University of Nottingham Malaysia who analyses Hacktivism and the Public Domain

Matt Mason, Author of bestseller ‘The Pirate’s Dilemma’ and Executive Director of Marketing at Bittorent

Chris Jury, Activist, Broadcaster and Lecturer at Bath Spa University who presents a radio show called ‘Agitpop’- exploring the role of music and protest

Charles Tsai, Campaigner at the Creative Visions Foundation and Social Creatives- Organisations that encourage creative thinking to affect positive change

Ken Fero, Award Winning Radical Documentary Filmmaker – Whose work explores Power, Inequality and Injustice.