Cultural activism in the community: creative practice, activism and place-identities

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This study will extend existing scholarship about 'cultural activism' by shining light on the ways activist-led forms of creative practice can serve as a means of claiming space and building community identities. Its aim is to understand both the nature of these activities (e.g., processes and ways of organising); as well as the consequences for localities, including the implications for social cohesion, exclusion and conflict. The concept of cultural activism has been used to describe a diverse range of creative practice such as culture jamming, subvertising, and rebel clowning intended to challenge 'dominant ways of seeing and constructing the world' (Routledge, 2010: 4). This form of activism is often associated with a politics of resistance; to global capitalism, to an authoritarian regime, to oppressive social and cultural norms. However, in addition to its uses as a form of resistance to global injustices, there is growing evidence to suggest that activist-led forms of creative practice can serve as a way to advance particular claims to space and build place-identities. This review will make a valuable contribution to this under-explored area of inquiry by establishing a foundation and conceptual framework for future research. This new line of enquiry will be based on a synthesis of literatures on cultural activism, community activism and creative practice, and place identities. Through this work, the study seeks to inform the future shape, focus and priorities of the connected communities programme. The review will proceed through the following four activities: Phase one - conducting the search: a short review process followed by an extensive search across a wide range of research databases (e.g., Web of Knowledge, the British Library). Phase two - categorising and classifying the research: organisation of collected literature and classification of key themes, arguments, research methods, and theories. Phase three - analysis and synthesis: a detailed interpretation of collected literature. Phase four - writing the review: a draft, and then final research review. This project also includes a significant component of collaborating activities. The review is informed by a participatory action research approach as community members have been key players in shaping the proposal. This engagement will continue through two key events: a dialogue café and public workshop/exhibition in the neighbourhood of Stokes Croft, Bristol, a centre of cultural activism in the UK. Academic outreach will proceed through presentation of major themes at a series of conferences and a symposium sponsored by the University of the West of England where international scholars will discuss the review and present research on cultural activism and 'place'. The nine-month study will be managed by Dr Michael Buser who will conduct and write the bulk of the review. Dr. Buser is an early career researcher (receiving his PhD in 2010) with a background in community planning. Professor Jane Arthurs, a leading scholar in cultural studies whose work focuses on the politics of creative resistance, will perform an advisory and mentoring role. In her capacity as Director of Research for UWE's Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education, Professor Arthurs will strengthen the project's ties to the Connected Communities Knowledge Hub located in the faculty's Digital Cultures Research Centre.