The Twelve Days of COVID

Objective:

Pressure Moderna to release taxpayer-funded research products and knowledge (namely, the safe, effective, life-saving vaccine “recipe”) to the public in order to promote global manufacturing and support efforts to end the pandemic.

The Project:

In creating a twist on this popular holiday carol, this new song deals with themes of social, political, and cultural criticisms that allow us to reflect on topics that call medical research institutions to action and force them to take morality, ethics, and the human condition into deeper consideration.

TRY THIS:

Sing it – even out of season

Revise the lyrics

What worked?

This song offered people a way to not only learn about how Moderna has contributed to the evil perpetuation of the vaccine apartheid, but this also offers people a way to engage in activism though caroling themselves or sharing videos produced by other leadership teams/choirs. With piano sheet music included, any group of people can sing along and add their voices to this platform.

Other Notes:

With the first version of this song focused on a satirical reflection of the state of the world, our second and final version of the song was enhanced with team-based efforts to improve its educational qualities and incite greater public outrage at the moral failings of Moderna as well as other general issues with the way Big Pharma operates in our society.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition
  • The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)

Reflections from Madeline Chung

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

Every voice is powerful, and bringing about positive transformation in the world begins when we start using our voices. Individuals working together in solidarity can find new ways to become empowered, and with the power that is found in numbers, we can create meaningful, lasting changes in society that will enhance the lives of people surrounding us. Think big, and push for the changes that you want to see in the world.

About this project
Creators:
  • Madeline Chung, MBE
  • Laura Holzman

December, 2021

Image/graphic, Online/web thing, Performance, Print, Video, Writing

United States, Cleveland

11×5 inches

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Download Original/High-Resolution File: Free-the-Vaccine-Group-Project.pdf

FTV Stencil

Objective:

The objective was to tag various places and get the FTV logo/”free the vaccine” concept out there in different ways!

The Project:

This was a stencil design made to be cut out and then spray painted to increase exposure for the Free the Vaccine concept/campaign!

TRY THIS:

Download the stencil and use it.

What worked?

I thought the simplicity and accessibility of the project was very successful! The most out there material you might need is some spray paint and an xacto knife.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work

Reflections from Daria Bazzi

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

It was pretty simple! I saw a lot of tags/stenciled graffiti outside, and I’d made a stencil before, so it felt like a simple thing to do. I printed out a large scale version of the FTV logo, traced it onto some Bristol paper (more sturdy paper), and then cut out the shapes with an xacto knife.

What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?

What was cool about this project was that I unfortunately didn’t have the time to go stencil myself at the public art walls we were planning to go to, so I was able to pass this along to one of my squadmates, Carly Besser, who went out into the world and tagged a bunch of walls and took very cool pictures.

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

Make sure to use sturdy paper! Something like draft tape is also super helpful if you’re stenciling the design on walls outside.

About this project
Creators:
  • Daria Bazzi
  • Carly Besser

April, 2021

Image/graphic

United States, Los Angeles

2000 x 2000 px

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: FTV_Stencil-1.pdf, 86e27459edbd3650752bf236b8c38216a04558cf_2_1332x1000.jpeg, IMG_2125.jpg

Jonas Salk Fan Club Membership Card

Objective:

Create and get 200 “card carrying members” of the Jonas Salk Fan Club by end of the third season of Free the Vaccine for COVID-19.

The Project:

Membership cards for the Jonas Salk Fan Club. The card says that the cardholder “believes life-saving medications are public goods to be shared with the world, not witheld for corporate gain, and is hereby duly recognized as a registered, lifetime member of the International Jonas Salk Fan Club.”

TRY THIS:

Join the Jonas Salk Fan Club and get your own card.

Start a membership group for something you care about.

What worked?

There’s a consistency across all the Jonas Salk Fan Club kit that makes it feel like a set.

Other Notes:

I just riffed off the Jonas Salk Fan Club Sticker I made earlier in the week.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • An original object can be provided for exhibition
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition
  • The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)

Links:

Reflections from Steve Lambert

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

You can print business cards very cheaply most places in the world. Don’t hesitate, just have them made and start handing them out. Keep 10 or 20 in your pocket or bag so you can give them away!

The Jonas Salk Fan Club pins are a great way to attract attention and recruit new members!

About this project
Creators:

April, 2021

Image/graphic, Print

United States, Poughkeepsie

2 x 3.5 inches

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: Jonas-Salk-Fan-Club-Card.ai_-1.zip

Jonas Salk Around The World

Objective:

With this Jonas Salk sketch we would like to encourage you and as many other people as possible to print out the sketch and take a picture of Jonas Salk in front of a landmark, a place special to you or a beautiful place in your surroundings. Much like the extremely successful Flat Stanley project more than 25 years ago. By spreading the word on social media, you can encourage others to do the same, help carry on Salk’s legacy, and remind people of a role model who prioritized people’s well-being over profit.

The Project:

We have depicted Jonas Salk in his role as a role model in vaccine development and distribution in a cartoon-like drawing. This eye-catching and charming design is intended to help spread Salk’s scientific and philosophical spirit and create a distinctive recognition value.

TRY THIS:

Make your own Flat Salk and help him visit your favorite places.

Share it on social media #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

What worked?

All the wonderfully kind and human values of Jonas Salk can be perfectly reflected in a cartoon-like style.

Other Notes:

1) Print the sketch
2) Glue it on cardboard or thicker paper
3) Cut out the outline of Jonas Salk
4) Take a picture with the cutout in front of a landmark, a place important to you, or a beautiful place in your neighborhood
5) Share the photo on social media and get more people to do the same

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • An original object can be provided for exhibition

Links:

Reflections from Calvin Dunker

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

Since other drawings in this cartoon-like style had already been created by unrelated projects, all that was needed was an agreement on the elements that would appear. The many iconic images of Salk as a scientist during the successful approval of the vaccine served as a rough template.

What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?

Mareike Bielok was responsible for the drawing and the underlying cartoon-like style. Calvin Dunker prepared the rough concept and the elements to be displayed.

What were some of the responses to this work?

Very positive feedback and already first photos in front of landmarks.

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

Produce an animation series with cartoon Jonas Salk traveling around the world. Organize airplane banners covering all the beaches in the world. Pay very famous people who can’t be convinced by the message behind the image to share pictures of themselves, the Jonas Salk cutout and famous landmarks on their social media channels.

About this project
Creators:
  • Calvin Dunker
  • Mareike Bielok

March, 2021

Image/graphic, Print

Germany, Munster

3024 x 4032 pixels

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Download Original/High-Resolution File: Salk-.png, Salk-Outline.png

Cards Against Humanity

Objective:

Draw attention to the craziness of how our pharmaceutical systems work.

The Project:

Cards Against Humanity Parady

TRY THIS:

Make your own set.

Riff on another game.

What worked?

A fun, playful way to point out serious issues.

About this project
Creators:
  • Robins Squad

December, 2020

Image/graphic

United Kingdom, London

4×5 inches

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work

Reflections from Robins Squad

Dr. Salk’s Ghost Returns to Free the Vaccine

Objective:

1) Create irresistible imagery for a media campaign to work towards our larger goal of having the University of Pittsburgh to Sign the Open Covid Pledge. 2) Raise awareness about Dr. Salk’s connection to vaccine research and open Intellectual property to the greater public. 3) Create a fun and timely halloween-centered work of creative activism

The Project:

Invoking the ghost of vaccine researcher Dr. Jonas Salk, we created humorous gravestones that echo his perspective about vaccine patents when asked about the polio vaccine he developed in Pittsburgh – “could you patent the sun?” Then we dressed up as Dr.Salk and distributed these gravestones (with linked QR codes to learn more) all over The University of Pittsburgh campus where current COVID-19 vaccine research is being done to encourage the same openness and support for a peoples vaccine that is the university’s legacy.

TRY THIS:

Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

Channel the Ghost of Salk in your community.

 

What worked?

The creative community process! As a lab, the Juncos worked across different cities with different backgrounds to make this happen. Once we did this action we were empowered to keep going and this led to many more actions and activities in our efforts to get the University of Pittsburgh to sign the Open Covid Pledge.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • An original object can be provided for exhibition
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition
  • The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)

Reflections from Joseph Amodei

What were some of the responses to this work?

People were really excited about the halloween timeliness of this work! It even spurred collaboration with another lab across the country (where Salk’s actual gravesite is) and resulted in more exciting imagery and proliferation of this people’s vaccine ethos.

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

If there is no people’s vaccine next year (as in no promise to share the IP and the manufacturing technology of current vaccines with the rest of the world for free), then I would make the scale of this 1000x this first iteration to really draw attention to the harm that vaccine profiteering causes to the wider world outside of the USA and other wealthy (via extracted labor and colonialism) countries. In short, to continue to summon and make proud the spirit of Dr.Salk.

Carnival March for a People’s Vaccine

Objective:

We’re asking the target universities to sign the Open Covid Pledge, to stop drug companies profiteering with publicly funded research. In the UK people are used to free healthcare, and unused to thinking about the injustice of health inequalities and the malign role of drug companies. Consequently the universities feel limited pressure. This action was a show of strength from the campaign, to increase pressure on the universities, as well as a public awareness raising effort, through the street presence to a limited extent, but mostly through the social and traditional media interest we generated.

The Project:

Activists in giant Covid-19 masks joined syringe wielding students in lab coats, beside neon pink dancing protestors, to call on London’s universities to pledge to make their healthcare research on Covid-19 available to the world. The Carnival March for a People’s Vaccine took place on July 27, 2020, from Kings College London (Guy’s Campus) to University College London, asking the universities to sign the Open Covid Pledge, to stop drug companies profiteering with publicly funded research.

TRY THIS:

Organize one in your community.

Make it even bigger.

What worked?

The costumes! Despite a gray day in London, you couldn’t miss us in our neon pink and giant covid head costumes. There were lots of banners, and placards, and QR codes so that passers by and social media viewers could understand the action clearly.

About this project
Creators:

July, 2020

Installation/Intervention, Performance, Video

United Kingdom, London

1’40”

Public Domain

Link to Original or High-Res file

Other Notes:

It was a great collaboration between Free the Vaccine volunteers and volunteers from Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, Just Treatment, Stop AIDs, Act Up UK, and other access to healthcare activists.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • An original object can be provided for exhibition
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Links:

157 registers:

Reflections from Rachel Reid

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

Lots of collaborative planning meetings interspersed with lots of glue and paint, following by lots of dancing and lots of walking!

What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?

We benefited from some deep experience in the group, from the activists who thought to consult lawyers about our rights before the action, to people with wide media and communications experience, to artists.

What were some of the responses to this work?

For the giant covid head wearers it varied from Londoner indifference to laughter to lots of pictures. Generally people who approached us were sympathetic and interested.

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

Have a sub-group working on communications, including traditional, not just social. There was lots still to do at the last minute (as ever!)

Inflatable Giant Syringe

Objective:

Pressure the university to sign the open covid pledge

The Project:

A giant inflatable syringe was installed on the grounds of Melbourne University

TRY THIS:

Make one

What worked?

It made us aware of the impact of a novel, physical object in a public space.

About this project
Creators:
  • Tessa Marshall
  • Greg Giannis

July, 2020

Installation/Intervention

Australia, Melbourne

5 x 1 x 1 m

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Download Original/High-Resolution File: GiantSyringeInstructions.pdf

Other Notes:

Australia has many ‘giant’ objects (Giant Prawn, Giant Pineapple etc) in prime tourist locations and this study of the vernacular led to the idea of the giant syringe.

    A set of instructions exists on how to make this work

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

Look at the available resources and get an idea of how you will approach the making of the inflatable. Experiment with a smaller prototype to get a feel for the materials and process, and to help decide how to proceed. Have fun!!!

A PANDEMIC LIMERIK

Objective:

Initially the limerick was an effort to get published during poetry month, but the zine was just an effort to keep creating

The Project:

a printable file to be shared, printed colored, and folded into a little zine.

https://www.facebook.com/architectkl/posts/10106736906731858
TRY THIS:

Print it and share it.

Redesign it.

Write your own version.

What worked?

its really cute, and the limerik is memorable.

About this project
Creators:

July, 2020

Image/graphic

United States, Pittsburgh

8 1/2 X 11

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: free-the-vaccine.pdf

Other Notes:

  • A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition
  • The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)

Reflections from Kisha Patterson

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

it was very collaborative and it felt like a small thing to move the world to a nearly insurmountable goal.

What were some of the responses to this work?

a little joy

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

start small, it cold get bigger

Stick Me.

Description:

The Stick Me. sticker is for people to stick on each other, like playing tag. If stuck with a sticker, they have to come to the table to find out why. Once someone is ‘stuck’ and find out about signing on to the Open Covid Pledge as an individual they will ideally sign it, get a sticker that says ‘I stuck it to _______’ and fill in the blank and add to a poster to visually represent those that have signed the Open Covid Pledge. The last step is a selfie prop where they can fill the university or org they stuck it to and share on social media and tag the university and others to encourage them to sign on. They can take some ‘stick me for free’ stickers to put around different places to encourage people to go to the website and see what it’s all about.

Objective:

This could be for a physical action, a series of stickers and posters that encourage people to interact with each other. Great for a tabling event.

About this project
Creators:
  • Stacy Early

July, 2020

Image/graphic, Installation/Intervention, Print

United States, Memphis

Varies

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Download Original/High-Resolution File:

What worked?

Ideally the success of this would be people having fun, being included, and feeling like they have the power to make a difference by signing the pledge.

Other Notes:

This work had input from the Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 group in general, and C4AA for their inspirational how to get people to act videos!

Reflections from Stacy Early

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

This one took me a little bit to get to. I had tried another interactive piece, but was a bit too involved. After stepping back, watching the C4AA videos, this just kind of came to me. Being able to bounce ideas off others in the group helped, hearing what was needed and wanted allowed me to think more creatively, I wasn’t thinking about this just for me.

Interpretive Statement

User Instructions

Print it and use it! 

Make a version for social media.