Abstract
This paper communicates the findings of a project entitled Protest.mp4, a collaborative inquiry between Year 3 BA (hons) Graphic Art students at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton; the Parliamentary Archives of the Houses of Parliament, and Museumand: The National Caribbean Heritage Museum. Protest.mp4 enabled students to explore representations of Black British history through social and political archives related to the 1981 Brixton uprising. Through dialogue and research with Museumand and the Parliamentary Archives, a co-designed learning experience initiated a more critical approach to design practice beyond a visual first approach. From this, students were able to analyse and reframe the societal and media perception of what was historically termed the Brixton riots and to explore and examine shifting contemporary parallels. Students were able to articulate informed narratives, as well as position their empathic opinions and debate into appropriate visual responses. Students creatively communicated these opinions and ideas through contemporary visual interpretations in animated poster formats. From a design perspective, Protest.mp4 challenged the traditional medium of activism; the poster. Visual outcomes extended the poster beyond the printed page into contemporary digital formats to explore how this medium of active communication is still relevant today within the context of social and political debates. From an educational perspective, Protest.mp4 provided students with a model for interdisciplinary dialogue to explore perspectives around decolonisation, race, speculative practice, technology, and activism.
Presenters
Ian JacksonSenior Teaching Fellow, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom Jodie Silsby
Senior Teaching Fellow, Design, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
INTERDISCIPLINARY, DECOLONISATION, SPECULATIVE PRACTICE, TECHNOLOGY, ACTIVISM, COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE, EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS
