Connecting Art with Activism and Social Change

27may3:30 pm4:45 pmConnecting Art with Activism and Social ChangeWebinar for Teachers & Educators

Time

(Thursday) 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm(GMT+10:00) View in my time

Location

Your computer

Event Details

As the state of the world changes and shifts, so does contemporary art. In this era of ecological and social upheaval, the role of art has evolved to become more vital than ever. Not only does art present contemporary issues for us to reflect on, but it also endeavours to create real social change. At its most effective this ‘art for change’ deeply engages audiences by actively seeking interaction and participation.

Artist Bianca Tainsh has been working within the realm of socially-engaged and activist art for almost ten years. Her projects have sort to create safe, but thought-provoking spaces for audiences to engage with, and even act upon tackling social and environmental dilemmas. Though her projects take many different forms, the framework of her projects rely on key elements like; creating evocative experiences, being conceptually dynamic, aims and desired outcomes, applying social and cultural consideration and of course, practicing artistic criticality.

In this webinar Tainsh will present some of her latest projects and take you through the key steps to creating an engaging and meaningful art project. We will look at identifying the themes and aims of your project, working considerately with communities and the possibilities of collaboration.

At the end of this workshop you will walk away with:

  • Clarity in what kind of art falls under the banner of activist or socially-engaged art.
  • An appreciation of the many different forms and approaches ‘art for change’ can take.
  • An idea of what factors come together to make this kind of work successful and artistically noteworthy.
  • An understanding of the possibilities that collaboration, either with other practitioners or the audience, can bring to a project.
  • Recognising the importance of ensuring a safe and accessible space for your audience and participants.
  • An understanding of how to inject integrity and authenticity into your project.
  • And a knowledge of the different ways you can engage and emotionally invest your audience in your project.

Additional Information

Presenter

Bianca Tanish

Utilising a variety of media and contemporary methods, Australian artist Bianca Tainsh creates experiential spaces. Archives of cyber-sourced material and semiotic rhetoric become the provenance for video, digital media, assemblages and live art, all merging to inspire reflection on contemporary dilemmas. Through theoretical frameworks and narrative, audiences are invited to engage deeply with issues such as climate change, mass consumerism, and the search for autonomy and spirituality in the digital age. And, as a way of escaping social expectations and consumerist shaping a reconnection with nature and humanity is often facilitated through ritual and visualisation.  By generating these intimate moments of connection with the audience, Bianca’s projects endeavour to reverberate outside of the gallery and realise actual social transformation. 

Bianca has exhibited work in both solo and group shows, and live art performances.  She has participated in international residency programs and has been the recipient of an ArtStart grant. Her artistic education includes a 1st Class Honours Degree from RMIT University, and to compliment the social aspects of her practice she also studied Arts & Community Engagement at the Victorian College of the Arts.