Envision a Better World
To change the world we need to imagine what a changed world might look like. These “utopian” visions are useful for setting pragmatic goals and concrete objectives. They orient our direction so we don’t get lost. They inspire us. They sustain us. And they attract others to work with us.
Articulating our dreams isn’t easy. Through sound, image, and movement, artistic activism can conjure up a vision of what could be and communicate it to others. Art gives us the vision. Activism helps us make the road to get there.
Here are just a few of the FTV projects that have envisioned a better world:
Here’s how Free the Vaccine participants turned their dream of a world with accessible COVID medicine into an unexpected, caring action:
Apply it:
- Spend some time imagining your utopia. Take time to really envision the society you want to make. Write it down. Then draw it. Sculpt it. Dance it.
- How might you manifest that vision so others can see it too? If you want to help people envision a world without hunger, you could host a massive dinner party on the street. If you want to create a country that doesn’t deny certain people rights, you could make a model of that new country.
- Craft an image that prompts people to rethink how we look at reality. Stage a performance that calls into question what values and institutions are “normal” in a society. Create an artifact from an alternative, better world.