Art as Activism

LiberationArts is an organisation on a mission ­to create change for animals through the medium of art. After its successful Behind Closed Doors exhibition in London in 2017, it's taking things up a notch with a 3­ day vegan festival. This time, it will be held in the vegan hub of Bristol in the south west of England, from February 9th to the 11th 2019.

The venue is Paintworks, a former industrial site converted into an impressive event space. Pieces by a range of vegan artists in a variety of media will be present on all 3 days. Days 1 and 3 will feature screenings of vegan films. Day 2 will be packed with activities ­ workshops where visitors can make their own vegan­themed badges and tote bags, talks by vegan advocates from all walks of life, and stalls selling everything from vegan food to clothes to artwork. Local animal rights charities and activist groups will also have stalls with information about what they do.

For founder Aisha Eveleigh, art has always been a form of activism. An artist herself, her own work is all focused on vegan issues - ­whether it relates to animal rights, the environment, health or human rights. She makes ceramics and textiles with hard­hitting messages.

Though the LiberationArts festival is themed around animal rights, vegans are not necessarily the target audience. The LiberationArts team hopes to attract non­vegans to the event, with the aim of encouraging them to consider the impact of their dietary and lifestyle choices.“We believe that art is such a special form of activism, because it can get away with being quite hard­hitting whilst also allowing a safe environment for people to contemplate,” says founder Aisha Eveleigh.

A key feature of the festival is that it's supposed to be fun! Many forms of activism, such as demos, can put non-vegans on the defensive. But the festival will expose visitors to new information in a way that is both non-threatening and engaging.

Best of all, entry to the event will be free to convince as many people as possible to come along!

Visit the LiberationArts website for the lineup and more information. SM