Objective:
The objective of this image was to pressure Dr. Cheryl Healton, the Dean of NYU’s School of Global Public Health, to sign the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
This is the “Vaccine of Liberty” that is currently locked due to the lack of accessibility, both nationally and globally. The vaccine of liberty symbolizes the ideals of equity, which is restricted by corporate healthcare services and big pharmaceuticals companies centered around garnering profits.
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Print it and stick it.
Make it specific to your target.
What worked?
This project lead to greater insight into shaping tactics to reach our target. At the end of the process, we had a cute sticker to share with others!
Reflections from Shivesh Shourya
About this project
Creators:
- Shivesh Shourya
- Eshita Garg
- Mahayana Landowne
- Carly Besser
- Rachel Gita Karp
November, 2020
United States, Newark
2048 x 2048 pixels
Objective:
Our greater objective was to get NYU to sign the Open Covid Pledge. We identified a target at NYU and thought including something creative in an email to her would make it more likely for her to engage with the email and respond to us.
The Project:
Improv conversations with COVID-19. In particular: a concerned person wanted COVID-19 to go away, so she talked to someone at a university that was doing COVID-19 research, asking them to open up their licensing so that the pandemic would end sooner. The university rep called their big pharma contact and both were skeptical. But then the Plague Doctor appeared and convinced everyone to agree to the Open Covid Pledge.
TRY THIS:
Make one!
What worked?
It worked! We included an image from our action in our email to our target and she wrote back right away saying she would be happy to meet with us.
Other Notes:
We knew from research that our target had a background in more creative ways of achieving major health aims.
-
Original files can be provided for exhibition
Links:
Reflections from Rachel Karp
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?
We were most taken with the image of talking to COVID-19 and think this could build into a social media campaign of people talking to COVID about how universities/pharmaceutical corporations/health organizations/government entities can make COVID go away–in a way that is safe, equitable, and accessible to all.
If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?
Things we found that were useful: the person playing COVID-19 changing their profile picture to COVID-19 and turning their camera off, Zoom backgrounds for as many other participants as possible, simple costumes, having an overall outline of what we would say, and trying to move through that outline pretty quickly (because otherwise the improv can get really bogged down). We wanted to make something short–maybe 60 seconds–but we never got it below about 3 minutes. Also, we learned after the fact that using the Zoom recording function doesn’t work because it doesn’t capture the profile image of someone with their camera off, so record through e.g. QuickTime or something that can capture a screen to make sure you get the key image of COVID-19 talking!
About this project
Creators:
- Rachel Gita Karp
- Shivesh Shourya
- Carly Besser
- Esh Garg
- Mahayana Landowne
October, 2020
Image/graphic, Online/web thing, Performance, Video
United States, Brooklyn
2298 x 1349
Download Original/High-Resolution File: Hawks-Action.png
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.
About this project
Creators:
- Joseph Amodei
- Kisha Patterson
- Laura Holzman
- Lyam Gabel
- Erin Roussel
- Elin
October, 2020
Image/graphic, Installation/Intervention, Online/web thing, Performance
United States, Pittsburgh
various
-
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.
Objective:
The objective was to appeal to the University of Queensland to sign the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
Big heart was a stop motion animation made to represent the information that 13% of the world’s population has already pre-purchased over half of the world’s supply of promised covid vaccines and also that as public funding goes into research of the vaccine, we as citizens have a right to have a voice. This information was packaged up to appeal to The University of Queensland who we were targeting in our objectives.
TRY THIS:
Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine
Make it specific to your community.
What worked?
I think the work found a playful way to represent the ‘of the moment’ statistical information. It attempted to appeal to the sense of ‘doing the moral/right thing’ for the University.
About this project
Creators:
- Tessa Marshall
- Greg Giannis
- zan griffith
October, 2020
Australia, Melbourne
one minute
Link to Original or High-Res file
Other Notes:
This work was an extension of an idea from season one. In season one Tessa and Greg created a giant syringe playing on the idea of Australia’s love of big things.
-
Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from zan griffith
What was the process/journey of creating this work?
This work was playing on the idea of Australia’s love of big tourist icons. In season one a big syringe was built with this in mind. Stop motion was a useful way to reach an audience when you are in lockdown in Melbourne.
What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?
Tessa creates a podcast each week where she highlights the most relevant and up to date covid vaccine information. This was where i learnt the statistic i represented. Greg had compiled information that related to the Australian situation which highlighted that over $4 billion was used for covid vaccine development. I had done a few stop motions before and love to tell a story in short grabs.
What were some of the responses to this work?
It was posted on instagram and a few comments suggested that it was useful information. We never heard back from the University of Queensland who we sent emails to with the animation.
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?
I love the idea of having a stop motion takeover day on social websites where all the participants of free the vaccine have a go at a stop motion with a free the vaccine message and we flood socials. i imagine some of the most successful stop motions would come from those who had never done one before.
If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?
Have fun with it and treat it like an experiment.
Objective:
To educate the public and advocate for a People’s Vaccine.
The Project:
A rally to mourn loss, celebrate life, and encourage our institutions to do better and provide a People’s Vaccine.
TRY THIS:
Make it specific to your community.
Organize one where you live.
What worked?
Images from the Funk Rally made it into national and international news.
Other Notes:
We started with a New Orleans Jazz-style funeral to mourn the overwhelming loss of life and then transitioned to a festive rally inspired by DC-based Go-Go music and 1970s fashion.
-
Original files can be provided for exhibition
Links:
Reflections from Tayyiaba Farooq
What was the process/journey of creating this work?
The Funk Rally came out a need to represent the grim seriousness of the campaign and Trump’s failure are president to adequately combat the pandemic while also painting a picture of hope for the future. At first organizers had wanted to keep the tone very serious and somber, but together with other ally organizations we can up with theming of Funk and imagery from the 70s. The rally was also adapted from a traditional New Orleans Jazz Funeral where they do not only mourn the end, but celebrate the very concept of life. The inspiration of this went in to the color of parade decorations, the lab coats with flowers and inspirational quotes, as well as the displaying local music culture. Altogether we were able to create something that was full of life and solidarity for our community. The approach we had taken to demanding action on ending the pandemic and ensuring an accessible vaccine was unique to our rally and was derived from the principles of creative activism. This out of the box approach had really gotten the attention of people that would have not otherwise cared. It was a great example of ally organizations coming together to make something positive, and from my perspective really launched the idea of vaccine accessibility at the University of Maryland.
What were some of the responses to this work?
People were able to dance in the street, create a beautiful mural at the end, and receive positive attention from onlookers and those who featured us in the press. The imagery produced from the campaign is still being used, and just goes to show the impact this one event has had on the campaign at large.
About this project
Creators:
- Free the Vaccine for Covid-19
October, 2020
United States, Washington
Varies
Objective:
The lab coats were part of a larger initiative part of the DC funk rally. The lab coats gave the impression of the scientific community attending the rally in support of health equity and the use of research for the public good. The aspect of color on the lab coats added to the “fun” and “fresh” element of the Funk Rally allowing for the rally to be more lighthearted.
The Project:
These are labcoats inspired by the 60s and 70s for the Washington D.C. Funk Rally held in October of 2020. The lab coats are adorned with flowers, health equity quotes, and slogans pushing the University of Maryland to support COVID-19 vaccine equity.
TRY THIS:
Design your own lab coat.
Make it specific to your community.
What worked?
The color of the lab coat really added to the overall aesthetic of the funk rally and made for good pictures that are then used for publicizing the event and our message.
Other Notes:
The Funk Rally was held in Washington D.C. in October of 2020 to not only mourn the lives lost to COVID-19 but to celebrate the concept of life and ensuring that the living is able to get equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine in order to end the pandemic for all.
-
An original object can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Tayyiaba Farooq
What was the process/journey of creating this work?
It was a fun and interesting learning experience for someone that does not have a background in art. I was able to draw inspiration from the art style of the 60s and 70s to create the flowers and color choice of the slogans and quotes used.
What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?
The collaborators served as amazing models for the labcoats and brought them to life. The labcoats wouldn’t be anything without the people to wear them.
What were some of the responses to this work?
All responses were really positive to the labcoats especially as a larger part of the Funk Rally. It added color to the rally and the pictures that were taken. Adding to the aesthetic and adding to the overall color and mood of the Free the Vaccine Campaign.
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?
I would create a larger photo mural with individuals who are doctors and scientists who are advocates for the campaign. Doing indiviudal profiles on these people, telling their stories and their motivations will further add color and dtail to the campaign.
If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?
Always plan out how you want to execute your idea before going into the final product. Going through the planning process further enhances the idea to be executed.
About this project
Creators:
- Tayyiaba Farooq
- Maanasa Gurram
- Manahel Zahid
- Victoria Carter
- Alvina Pan
October, 2020
United States, Washington
7 lab coats
Objective:
Pressure the university to sign the open covid pledge
The Project:
A giant inflatable syringe was installed on the grounds of Melbourne University
STRATEGIES:
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
Australia, Melbourne
5 x 1 x 1 m
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!!!
Objective:
To make graphics that use the universities styles, fonts, colors to be shared on social media and via emails and used to put pressure on university decisionmakers to sign the Open COVID Pledge.
The Project:
A series of graphics intended for social media and emails that ask students, alumni, and faculty to put pressure on university decisionmakers to sign the Open COVID Pledge.
Coming Soon
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
What worked?
We sent emails to decision makers with the future social media post, and the TTO office responded, still waiting to hear their response to our AUTM email reply.
About this project
Creators:
- Eric John Olson
- Eshita Garg
- Mary Clare Rietz
- Jocelyn Edens
- Zeph Fishlyn
July, 2020
United States, Seattle
various social media sizes
Other Notes:
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Eric Olson
Objective:
Playing on the long standing sports rivalry between schools, this animation was created as part of a social media push to encourage UCLA to sign the Open Covid Pledge before USC.
The Project:
Images of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Southern California (USC) mascots, made entirely of cut paper, are animated to depict the UCLA Bruin kicking the USC Trojan out of frame, and then ringing the Victory Bell.
TRY THIS:
Make it specific to your community.
What worked?
The humor
About this project
Creators:
July, 2020
United States, Los Angeles
7 second video, GIF
Other Notes:
The cut paper elements were assembled and photographed by Kaity, and Vivian added background, digitized the animation, and formatted the animation for various social media platforms.
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?
Vivian has been very encouraging of the idea of stop motion throughout the lab, so it was a true collaboration between the two of us to make this happen. I think we both are pleased with the results.
Objective:
We’re building on Dolly Parton’s $1million donation to support COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt University. To get their attention, to educate them on the Open Covid Pledge, and to add pressure for them to sign the pledge, we chose to produce a viral music video parody of the song “Jolene” by Dolly Parton.
We now want to encourage all universities to sign the Open Covid Pledge, so we are currently discussing the “next challenge”: how to create a full-length video in a way that inspires even more people to get involved and ask universities to make a meaningful change.
The Project:
The #JoleneVaccineChallenge is an interactive project, initially intended to target Dolly Parton and Vanderbilt University. However, with the success of the project, we are now targeting universities all over the world! (Read more under “Objective” below.)
We are making a music video parody of the song “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. Do you know the song? The chorus lyrics, “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene…” have been adapted to “Vaccine, Vaccine, Vaccine, Vaccine.” Check out the video link to see how we rewrote ALL of the lyrics.
The challenge, i.e. the “interactive” element of this project, is twofold. First, we invited all members of the Free the Vaccine campaign to help us make a “trailer” for the music video. The video link here is the trailer, which consists of just the first chorus and verse to the song. At the end of the trailer, we challenge viewers to send videos of THEM lip-syncing/dancing to the song. We made a downloadable track and supplied the lyrics to the whole song for viewers.
TRY THIS:
Record your own lip sync and share it on social media. #JoleneVaccineChallenge
Perform it in your own community.
What worked?
Without Occupy Democrats having shared our video on Facebook, we would have had a MUCH harder time going viral.
Other Notes:
Thousands of people across several social media platforms watched and shared our video. We are continuing to call and email Vanderbilt and Dolly Parton representatives to remind them of our video and its growing number of likes/views.
Based on the initial response to our trailer, we’ve decided that our full-length music video should now target universities all over the world. Our trailer features members of Free the Vaccine from many different countries, emphasizing Parton’s and Vanderbilt’s global impact. In continuing this theme, for the full-length music video, we plan to have a few singers/dancers wearing not only Parton costumes or Vanderbilt t-shirts, but also, for example, t-shirts from other universities.
-
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)
Links:
Reflections from Dannie Snyder
What were some of the responses to this work?
We have gone viral! That in itself is a huge response to our work.
As far as viewers accepting the challenge and submitting videos… So far we have only received a handful of submissions. (It’s not too late to send one yourself!) We are currently outlining our schedule for releasing the full-length music video (probably during the first week of December) as well as three “promotional” videos between now and then; three videos (at least) to help boost our views/likes on social media.
Unfortunately, Dolly Parton and Vanderbilt representatives have not been responding to our emails and calls.
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 we had a million dollars, we could probably think of a million ideas! Our team is always bustling around “what if we…?!” Off the top of my head, we would project the final full-length music video onto Dolly Parton’s house(s) and Vanderbilt’s buildings. We discussed the idea of – when COVID cases and social distancing measures relax – a march around Nashville in Dolly Parton costumes. But, why just in Nashville!? Why stop there?! And wouldn’t it be awesome to have the video produced in every language?! We have also discussed how to get famous people to lip-sync/dance for our full-length music video.
About this project
Creators:
- Aly Bancroft
- Stacy Early
- Laura Holzman
- Dannie Snyder
July, 2020
United States, Nashville
1920×1080