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Performance Activism and Civic Engagement Through Symbolic and Playful Actions

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Affiliation

University of Texas at El Paso (Singhal), and Ohio University (Greiner)

Date
Summary

This document analyses performance activism as a form of communication and engagement. From the introduction: "The purpose of the present article is to analyze the role of performance activism in enthusing, engaging, and mobilizing a citizenry. We focus on the role of playful symbolic protests and actions, construing “performance” in the broadest terms possible. We analyze three cases of performance activism, in three different contexts: Gandhi’s symbolic mass mobilization protests in India; Antanas Mockus’ playful civic engagement strategies in Bogota, Colombia; and the playful actions of “Billionaires for Bush” in the United States. We conclude by distilling lessons from these cases for scholars, practitioners, and activists of communication and social change."

The document introduces performance activism by describing the tactics of United States (US)-based AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP), which fights HIV/AIDS stigma. "In public forums, especially when cameras are rolling, ACT-UP activists grab microphones, yank plugs, jam fax machines, and plaster stickers on public telephones that say: “Touched by a person with AIDS”. Their work involves symbolic and often “playful” protests and actions....Through these acts of performance activism, known variously as “ludic antics,” “culture jamming,” and “liberatory play,” ACT UP makes injustices faced by People Living with AIDS (PLWAs) more visible, engaging both the citizenry and public policy-makers."

The authors pose the question: "How do playful, symbolic actions engage a citizenry?" They cite the argument that "playful symbolic actions provide a non-violent way to engage with power, disarming and confusing opponents through unconventional logic, and creating possibilities for new social relations between the powerful and the powerless, and between and among the powerless. The element of “surprise” in playful actions can shift the playing field, the power relation between the players, and change the rules of the game." Their example is Mahatma Gandhi's peaceful protests of discrimination in South Africa to which the country’s interior minister responded: "You reduce me to helplessness. How can we lay hands on you without looking like villains?" Playfulness invites participation and helps build solidarity and long-term commitment to a cause, as stated here. Gandhi continued his protest techniques to free India of colonial rule using the spinning wheel and making a cloth called "khadi" as his symbolic statement of independence. He rallied support by marching to the sea to make salt. These actions were used to engage a mass of oppressed people through powerful symbols of protest and action.

In Bogotá, Colombia, citizen's transformed their condition - from one plagued by lack of amenities, risk of homicides, and traffic accidents - through "the playful, creative, and innovative communication strategies of Antanas Mockus", their two-term mayor. According to the authors, Mockus was the first independent candidate in Colombian history to be elected Mayor of Bogotá. He used, as reported here, a "playful, irreverent political style. For instance, soon after being elected, Mockus made his first public appearance on television as “Super Citizen.” On camera, citizens of Bogota see Mockus jumping to tear down illegal advertisements covering a city wall. After several citizens eagerly joined the “crazy” mayor in tearing down posters...Mockus’s performance-centered approach to civic engagement was part of “Cultural Ciudadana” (civic culture), a social change strategy designed to promote 'interpersonal self-regulation'. In the context of a playful performance, citizens use interpersonal communication channels to encourage each other to voluntarily self-regulate their behaviors." For example, mimes replaced traffic police at intersections and mocked incorrect and dangerous behaviours instead of being directive. "For Mockus, the mimes represented a pacifist counterweight to policemen. With no words or weapons, the mimes were doubly unarmed. Their effectiveness demonstrated the value of socio-cultural regulation over legal regulation..." Further, "the Mayor’s office distributed 350,000 red and white “thumbs cards,” to citizens. The white, “thumbs up” cards were designed for citizens to show their approval of others’ actions while the red, “thumbs down” cards, modeled on the red cards used by football referees, could be used to playfully show disapproval....Although the general purpose of the cards was to promote interpersonal displays of approval and disapproval, citizens exercised a great degree of freedom in their use. Mockus described the “thumb cards” campaign as the result of his realization that fear of social sanction is only one way in which social norms regulate human behavior..."

In addition, Mockus created a voluntary taxi driver recognition programme: "To restore public confidence in the use of taxis, citizens were encouraged to call the Mayor’s office to nominate exemplary taxi drivers as part of the “Knights of the Zebra” positive recognition strategy". He initiated water use reduction, an anti-street violence campaign, and traffic accident prevention campaign based on the tactics of playful engagement of civil society.

In the US, playful civic engagement is exemplified by a social movement known as “Billionaires for Bush", a website-centred action which invited people to dress up and appear in New York City, NY, US for an action designed to, as stated here, "expose the nexus between the Presidency and right-wing, upper-class, neo-conservatives." The co-founder of the action, Andrew Boyd, "...learned that the organizer’s main task is to create playful, creative structures so that people can participate, innovate, and co-create." The authors state that: "Press coverage of the Billionaires’ performative actions, like currency, gains force when put into circulation...", which they call the action-mediation-remediation (A-M-R) circuit to publicise action, which in turn invites new action. Photos of the recurring actions of this campaign were uploaded onto the website, which offered a manual and "Do-it yourself" (DIY) materials like slogan placards.

In the lessons and conclusions section of the document, the authors note that the choices of Gandhi and those that followed "were infused with deep meanings to mobilize one and all, restoring collective dignity to an oppressed nation while non-violently taking on the aggressor. By protesting peacefully, and not resisting arrest, the khadi-clad salt marchers were engaging in performative actions that made the injustice visible, building a community around the cause." The use of creative play in public spaces for civic engagement in both Bogota and New York demonstrate that to have serious impact, activism need not have a serious demeanour. "In conclusion, symbols and play, taken together, represent highly powerful tools of spurring civic engagement, building social movements, and promoting social justice."

Source

The website of Arvind Singhal on July 13 2009; and email from Arvind Singhal to The Communication Initiative on November 14 2009.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:38 Permalink

I always appreciate a participatory democracy where every individual and group engages in issues and actions for betterment of social and national life where individual lives a meaningful life . I have enjoyed reading the inspiring post. Evicting a Tenant

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:42 Permalink

I always appreciate a participatory democracy where every individual and group engages in issues and actions for betterment of social and national life where individual lives a meaningful life . I have enjoyed reading the inspiring post. Evicting a Tenant