Unleash the Power within YOUth: Artist Activism

^{At YouthxYouth, we root our work in the belief that activism, like life itself, takes so many forms, each one necessary and vital in our journey of cultivating a just and liberated world. This year’s annual YouthxYouth crowdfunding campaign is centred around raising support to sustain the work we do at YxY by showcasing the diversity of the activism that exists within our community, from artivists to community weavers, and everything in between. This crowdfunding campaign is an invitation, an open door if you will, to sustain the work of YxY through 2025 and beyond, and to witness the power and depth of activism. Through this campaign, we’re intentionally holding up a mirror to reflect the faces of those we serve and uplift, the activists whose journeys we nurture and who nurture us in return. As part of this, we are releasing a series of blogs that explore 10 different archetypes of activism.} 

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Art! It’s sort of a universal language, is it not? A language that connects us to one another across geographies, ages, and even languages! A language that connects us across languages feels revolutionary so today, we are exploring Artist Activism. Artist Activists create change through artivism, i.e. art that carries a social change message. Rejecting the notion that art exists in a vacuum, divorced from the political and social realities of our time, artivists essentially connect their creativity with their commitment to activism. Some examples of their tools of change are creative expression, cross disciplinary collaboration, and imagination!

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During the 1960s, Chicano murals emerged as a powerful vision of the Chicano civil rights movement and as an example of Artivism. Artists painted murals that celebrated Chicano culture, history and their political struggle. They often depicted Chicano figures like Cesar Chavez, as well as indigenous artwork which made the Chicano experience visible and challenged the dominant Anglo-centric narratives. 

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“As part of a reevaluation of their cultural identity by Mexican Americans during the Chicano movement for civil rights and social justice that began in the mid-1960s, murals again provided an important organising tool and a means for the reclamation of their specific cultural heritage.” - Eva Sperling Cockcroft and Holly Barnet-Sanchez 

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More recently, songs like It's a Good Day (to Fight the System) by Shungudzo and Winter Wash 24 by Mon Rovîa, for example, have emerged in response to various sociopolitical-ecological crises, and as a result have fueled and inspired changemakers worldwide. Mon Rovîa wrote Winter Wash 24 as someone rescued from war as a refugee with the purpose of donating all funds generated through the release of the song to help others within similar circumstances. This is artivism. 

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The idea that art has the power to disturb the noise of the status quo and move people, is what feels present within and throughout examples of Artivism. Artivists are essentially reflecting the world around them as well as actively shaping it through naming injustice and envisioning liberatory futures

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Of course though, like with the archetypes explored previously, the path of the artist-activist is not straightforward. They often do have to navigate institutional gatekeeping, repression and the lack of resources. However, as we find ourselves in the midst of cascading polycrises (from genocides, wars, and the climate emergency), Artivists offer us immense hope and inspiration. They are reminders of the fact that the liberation we seek will be painted, sculpted, sung, and danced and that is beautiful!.

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In sharing this final activist archetype blog, we’re excited to share our final activist archetype interview with an incredible artivist within the YouthxYouth community, Manuela Maudet Ceron, who is foremost, an artist who views art and storytelling as powerful tools for effecting change locally and globally. Serving as the social media manager at YouthxYouth, she shares the remarkable journey and evolution of this vibrant community. 

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Stay tuned to our social media for more inspiring conversations!

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Through these interviews, we hope to bring you closer to the lived experiences of activists within our community, hopefully offering a fuller understanding of what it means to be an activist, in its vast multiplicities.

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As we journey through the other archetypes of activism we invite you to reflect on the interconnectedness of these roles. While each archetype has its distinct facets, together they make up our YouthxYouth community and how magical is that!

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Our crowdfunding campaign is about celebrating this diversity, and by contributing, you are not only helping sustain YxY’s work but also joining a community that values and nurtures a broad spectrum of activism. We invite you to support those who dare to act, whether it's on the frontlines or behind the scenes, as we envision and work towards the more beautiful futures our hearts so deeply long for.

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Donate now!