Center for Artistic Activism

A blank sheet of paper became a weapon against censorship.
That’s the power of creativity under authoritarianism.

Join us Oct 15 for Anti-Authoritarian Artistic Activism: What We Can Learn, What We Can Do. Free, online, open to all.

🔗 c4aa.org/news/letter/...

#ArtisticActivism #AntiAuthoritarian

When protest gets shut down, creativity finds a way through.

Join us Oct 15 at 3pm ET on Zoom for:
Anti-Authoritarian Artistic Activism: What We Can Learn, What We Can Do

Free to attend → c4aa.org/news/letter/...

#ArtisticActivism

🔥 Campaign chaos got you in “this is fine” mode? 🐶🔥
Come to C4AA Office Hours and leave with clarity + energy.

🗓 Fri 9/26 • 12–1pm ET
👉 sign up: c4aa.org/office-hours

#artisticactivism #organizing

8/8 At C4AA, we teach activists to be emotional strategists—moving people through the Feelings Wheel, with intention.

Want to learn how to use emotions for grounding, fuel, vision, and sustenance?
Check out our “Work With Us” page: c4aa.org/work-with-us/

7/8 Artistic activism draws on the full emotional spectrum—because sustained commitment needs the full spectrum of emotion.

6/8 Joy: Reminder of What We Fight For
Not naïve optimism—but a reminder of why we persist, who we are, and what we're building.

5/8 Hope: Imagining the Alternative
Hope sustains us. Even when it feels impossible, imagination keeps the vision alive.

4/8 Anger: Channeling Righteous Rage
We channel fury into creative, collective disruption—not burnout.

3/8
Grief: Honoring What’s Been Lost
Grief anchors us in reality and fuels our commitment to change.

2/8 In our trainings, we teach activists to map emotions strategically—because each feeling moves people differently.

1/8 Activism runs on a full range of feelings.
At C4AA, we teach how to use the Feelings Wheel to design actions that move people through those emotions.

Because movements need more than one feeling to last.

Check out C4AA: c4aa.org/work-with-us/

#ArtisticActivism #FeelingsWheel #CreativeProtest

(7/7) 👉 Artistic activism cuts through indifference. It makes the invisible visible. It keeps us fighting when despair creeps in. 🔥 Ready to reimagine what protest can be? Follow us at C4AA and bring creativity into your activism.

(6/7) It was impossible to ignore—playful and furious. It made politics visceral.

(5/7) One famous action: covering Senator Jesse Helms’s house with a two-story condom. The message? “Your inaction is deadly.”

(4/7) They plastered cities with billboard-style graphics, queered advertising, and staged outrageous stunts.

(3/7) ACT UP fought back—not just with petitions or speeches, but with spectacle.

(2/7) In the late 1980s & ’90s, people with AIDS were dying while politicians looked away.

(1/7) In 1991, ACT UP covered Senator Jesse Helms’s house with a giant condom.
Message: “Helms is deadlier than a virus.”

Outrage + spectacle = unforgettable activism.
👉 Follow us + sign up for our newsletter at c4aa.org

#ACTUP #ArtisticActivism #QueerHistory

(8/8) Ready for more? Download the Center for Artistic Activism's FREE Unleashing Creative Campaigns Toolkit today: c4aa.org/kit/

(7/8) Invite meaningful participation. Get people doing, not just watching. Give them a role, a task, or a ritual to take part in, during and after.

(6/8) Make it personal. One on one connections over mass messaging. Create space for people to feel seen, heard, and part of the action.

(5/8) Create irresistible imagery. Design your action for the camera and the moment.

(4/8) Use magic, whimsy, and surprise. A playful twist or unexpected reveal keeps curiosity high and attention on your cause.

(3/8) Center celebration, hope, and joy! Good vibes fuel momentum.

(2/8) Don't just do it, make it irresistible. Add the magic that makes people stop, smile, share, and join in.

(1/8) Running an action? Don’t just do it—make it irresistible. Step 4 of our FREE Unleashing Creative Campaigns Toolkit shows how: joy, surprise, imagery, connection, participation. Make your next action unforgettable. 📚 c4aa.org/kit/

#ArtisticActivism #CreativeActivism #CivicEngagement

Activism can be inspiring, innovative, & unforgettable.
Our SXSW panel will show you how.
Vote by Aug 24 → participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

#SXSW2026 #ArtisticActivism #CreativeCampaigns

🚀 Civic Holidays, leveled up!
Join us Aug 26 @ 1pm ET for a free virtual training from NVEW, Vote Early Day, Campus Takeover + C4AA. Learn how to go beyond tabling & swag to create powerful voter activations.
🔗 nationalvotereducationweek.org/event/level-...
#VoterEducation #CivicHolidays

10 powers of art.
Design that draws people in.
Tactics that spark action.
Our SXSW panel will share how to make activism unforgettable. Vote by Aug 24 → participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

#SXSW2026 #CreativeActivism #VoteSXSW

“The old tactics aren’t working.”
Merith Basey shares why artistic activism brings fresh ideas, hope, and strategies for today’s movements.
📅 Advocacy orgs: book free Office Hours for creative campaign support: calendly.com/d/cs2t-6wk-b...
#C4AA #ArtisticActivism #CreativeActivism #AdvocacyTools