Hello, my name is Mrs. Carter, and I'm gonna be guiding you through today's lesson on repetition in art activism.

We're gonna be looking at lots of different concepts, how we can use repetition of images, ideas, and phrases in order to enhance an art activism project.

I need you to be engaged, answer all the questions as well as you can, and have a go at every task and really, really putting your all into it.

And we're gonna do some fantastic learning today.

Let's get started.

By the end of today's lesson, you're gonna be able to say, "I can employ repetition to raise awareness of social issues and amplify underrepresented voices." To make really good impact of today's lesson, we want to be able to use these terms accurately.

To amplify, to make something stronger, louder, or more noticeable.

For example, if you amplify an idea or a message, you make it more powerful or easier for people to notice or understand.

Think about how that links to the term for an amp in music, which increases the the sound of whatever's playing, whatever's being used.

Repetition.

When you repeat an action, phrase, or image multiple times.

Think about repeat patterns when we're thinking about that term.

And symbol, an image or phrase that represents or stands for something else.

We're surrounded by symbols in our society.

Think about road signs.

Those images are symbols.

Our lesson today's got three learning cycles.

We're gonna start with designing meaningful symbols.

We'll then move on to repeating symbols to amplify the social issue in art.

And then we're going to look at designing tools or products to aid art activism.

Let's get started designing our meaningful symbols.

Anyone can be a social activist and make art which can raise the awareness of any issue to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups.

What kind of groups might face underrepresentation? Pause the video and see what you come up with.

What did you come up with? I wonder if you included any of these things.

Izzy shares the idea of unhoused people.

Aisha, young carers.

Jacob shares victims of bullying.

And Alex thought about people living with a disability.

I wonder if you came up with anything further.

First check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about social action art? Is it a, social action art is only created by professional artists, is it b, it boosts the voices of underrepresented groups, is it c, social action art focuses solely on political issues, or is it d, it is always displayed in a gallery or museum? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

And well done if you said it was b, it boosts the voices of underrepresented groups.

Successful symbols which amplify an important message are recognisable, unique, reproducible, memorable, simple, powerful, versatile.

So next check for understanding.

Complete the list.

Successful symbols which amplify an important message are something, unique, reproducible, memorable, something, powerful, and versatile.

Pause the video and decide which two words you think are missing from this list.

How did you get on? Well done if you remembered recognisable and simple.

It's important that a good symbol has all of these so that it can be used most effectively.

Some successful social action symbols which can amplify an important message include: the raised fist symbol used by the American Civil Rights movement and more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement; the peace logo, which was developed for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; and the rainbow Pride flag, which is a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ+ community.

Aisha shares an image here and asks, "What social action message do you think my symbol is amplifying?" Pause the video and think if you can work out what the message might be.

Can you identify symbols which Aisha has used to link to cyberbullying, which is her social action issue that she's chosen to make her work about? Well done if you noticed the mobile phone, which links us to the internet and how we communicate, and the emojis, which are recognisable and convey the impact of cyberbullying.

We've also got that cracked screen to suggest that there is something wrong.

When developing an artwork, it's essential to consider all the related symbols that come to mind first.

So with the example of cyberbullying, you might think about things like mobile phones, emojis, chains or locks, messages and speech bubbles, or tears to show the impact.

I'm sure if you were to do this, you'd come up with many, many more, but it gives you an idea of the sorts of things that might come to mind.

So we're entering our first practise task.

And for Task A1, I would like you to record various symbols that you could use to amplify awareness about an issue that you're interested in.

This could be in the format of a list, an idea shower, written prose, or drawn sketches.

State what the symbols represent as well as what the symbols are.

Make sure you've identified what is the issue that you would like to discuss.

Pause the video and get started on that task.

How did you get on? Did you find it easy to decide on the social action that you're going to make work about or did it take you a little while to decide? How quickly did you come up with lots of images that could be used to communicate about this topic? You might have chosen a topic like cyberbullying, and here Andeep shares, "I used the messaging speech bubbles to show how nasty messages can be sent." Sam adds, "I wanted to put chains, and a phone, and an angry emoji all together to show how it follows you around." And Jun shares, "A silhouette behind a phone effectively shows the anonymity of bullies." So we've got lots of ideas shared here.

For our second task, I would like you to sketch out a symbol to amplify the awareness about the issue you're interested in.

So you can use your ideas from Task A1, sketch lightly to create your ideas, and trace or copy the best idea to your symbol.

Pause the video and start that task now.

Well done.

I'd now like you to simplify the design that you've created so that it communicates more quickly.

You could also add colour.

When you're simplifying, the process might look a little bit like this.

So we started out with the sketch, which has been drawn relatively softly.

Then we are gently erasing it so that we just have the vague impressions.

And then redraw that symbol again, but much more boldly.

You can see where the black has been used to really widen the areas and make sure that those stand out really boldly.

You can see that a ruler and a compass have been used so that those edges are really crisp and precise.

And you wanna remove any fiddly little details, things that are gonna make it difficult and time consuming to reproduce and that make the image over complicated.

You might also need to thicken some lines.

So how did you get on? Have you got a really nice bold symbol that you could reproduce many times? You might have chosen a topic like cyberbullying, similar to Aisha, and here she shares, "I think my symbol is good as the shape of the phone with a broken screen was quite simple, but I used the sad face emoji on it as it makes the impact of cyberbullying clear." Moving on to repeating symbols to amplify social issues in art.

Why is the repetition of symbols powerful in sharing important issues? This student shares that the same symbol kept coming up on their feed.

Also recognised some of the imagery is linking to technology.

He's wondering what it's about.

Repetition is important in sharing important issues as it reinforces the message, increases awareness, increases urgency, and amplifies underrepresented voices, which strengthen the impact.

Now for check for understanding.

True or false? Repetition in art activism does not emphasise the need for action and change.

Pause the video and decide if you think that is true or false.

Well done if you said false.

The reason for this is that repetition in art activism serves as a powerful tool for communicating the need for change by constantly highlighting important issues, creating a sense of urgency, and motivating people to take action.

Can you think of any times that you've seen something over and over again and how it made you feel it was a really important thing? Many activists use objects, images, or text, which through repetition have become a symbol, including: Lubaina Himid who uses repeated silhouettes in her series Naming the Money; JR's Favela Project, which uses the repeated symbol of women's eyes; the Right to Remain activism group who use the repeated slogan of "No one is illegal" in their campaigns.

Can you think of any other things that could be repeated to create meaning? Artists can repeat imagery, developing work into patterns and compositions.

Some examples of this include: Jeppe Hein who collaborated with Parley and Utopia to create the we are all interconnected flag; Diana Ejaita, whose project wearyourmask features repeated symbols which speak to her heritage through clothing; Althea McNish, a surface designer whose repeats imagery, colour, and shapes in her fabrics; and Shepherd Fairey, who's well known for his use of repeated symbols in his poster and sticker art.

Repetition can turn a symbol into a pattern with a number of processes.

There's a rotation where the symbol is turned around a single point, reflection where the symbol is flipped to create a mirror image, and half drop where the symbol shifts one step across and one step down so you get a diagonal formation.

Check for understanding.

Which is the correct definition of rotation? a, is it the symbol is flipped to create a mirror image, is it b, the symbol shifts one step across and half a step down, or c, the symbol is turned around a point? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

How did you get on? Well done if you said that the symbol is turned around a point when it is a rotation.

Now another check for understanding.

Which is the correct definition of half drop.

Is it a, the symbol is flipped to create a mirror image, is it b, the symbol shifts one step across and half a step down, or is it c, the symbol is turned around a point? Pause the video and decide which you think is correct.

Well done if you said b, the symbol shifts one step across and half a step down in half drop.

So we're gonna develop our symbol from Task A into a repeating pattern.

You could select coloured paper, use a soft pencil or a graphite stick like this, reapply the graphite when needed, and employee rotation and half drop.

You can see in the video that I am covering the back of the symbol with graphite, masking-taping it down, and then tracing that outline.

I'm then able to place that in different locations so that I can produce my repeat.

Pause the video and give yourself time to do this neatly and carefully.

How did you get on? Hopefully you're really pleased with your outcome.

Here, Laura shares that she likes, "Aisha's bold symbol using graphite transfer.

Her use of coloured paper makes it stand out.

Her repeat reminds me of Althea McNish's work as the symbol has been repeated in interesting ways." We're now moving on to designing tools and products to aid activism.

Activism events that build momentum through repetition include: Nottingham Light Night, which reclaims the city centre for families after dark, addressing concerns about nighttime safety through light sculptures; Earth Day is a global event which highlights the importance of environmental protection with items like T-shirts; and International Day of Peace promotes global peace through various events, often using posters.

Do you know about any local activism events that highlight social issues? How can our repeated pattern be activated as a tool or product which amplifies or extends our message? Can you think of any ways? The repetition of symbols could be activated in various ways to amplify and extend its message.

And here Jun shares, "Artists can create stickers, or posters, or flyers.

We could make merchandise and clothing with it on." Sofia adds, "How about we develop a chant or a slogan to go with it?" Jun included, "It could also go online to spread the message quickly and reach a wide audience." Sofia also noted, "This could be featured on protest signs, banners, and flags, making it a focal point during a demonstration or rally." Check for understanding.

True or false? The repetition of symbols can only be used to create merchandise or flyers.

Pause the video and decide if you think that is true or false.

Well done if you said false.

The repetition of symbols can be used in many different ways, often paired with slogans or chants at rallies or protests that amplify the message of the social action issue.

Artists can build momentum and amplify their message using their visual work during art activism events.

This includes rallies and protests, walks or parades, workshops, community events, talks and discussions, or public and performance art.

Why do successful art activism activities need to be repeated? Art is a process that sparks conversation, race awareness, and initiates dialogue, all of which can drive change over time.

It could take time to reach enough people to make big changes, meaning that more than one event will gather momentum.

The act of creating and sharing work itself holds significant power.

Okay, check for understanding time.

What is the key idea about art's role in driving change through social action? Is it a, art creates immediate, large-scale change through a single event, b, art's impact is limited to creating beautiful visuals, c, art is only effective if it reaches everyone at once, or d, art raises awareness and builds momentum over time? Pause the video and decide which answer you think is correct.

Well done.

How did you get on? Excellent work if you said that it was d, art raises awareness and builds momentum over time.

It's not always possible to make change in one moment, but through repeated events, it is possible to build momentum and make change over time.

So moving into our Task C.

Initially, I'm gonna ask you to develop your pattern into a product or tool which could be used into a protest.

This could be that you are going to make a T-shirt design, a placard, a poster, or a megaphone.

So I actually want you to create one of those things or something beyond that that you've come up with yourself.

We're then gonna discuss how that product or tool would build momentum and amplify the message.

Pause the video and give yourself time to make this work.

How did you get on? I wonder what it is that you made.

You may have done something like this where Jun has chosen to create a megaphone to amplify his message, which can repeat his key messages, encourage engagement, create energy and momentum, and establish teamwork.

Protests often have chants as part of the event to amplify the message of the cause.

These are often known as call and response.

A common chant is, "What do we want?" And then there would be the response, "And when do we want it?" And then the whole crowd would call, "Now!" These chants allow the group to explain really clearly what it is that they're after, and it really empowers the voice of the group and the social issue that they're talking about.

For your second task I'd like you to create the response that you would use to this chant that would accompany your tool or product.

It wants to be something short and snappy so that it can be easily repeated and understood, and it needs to link really carefully to your social action issue to get to the heart of what it is that would improve the world as a result of this social action change.

Pause the video and decide what chants would work within this chant for your social action issue.

How did you get on? Did you find you came up with quite a lot of slogans? You might have said something like these.

So Lucas shares, "Respect online, every time!" Izzy said, "A safety net for us!" And Alex created the phrase, "Cyberbullying? Not today!" So in summary for our lesson repetition in art activism, anyone can make social action art which can raise awareness of any issue and amplify the voices of underrepresented groups.

Repetition is important as it reinforces messages, increases awareness, creates urgency, amplifies underrepresented voices, and strengthens impact.

Artists can amplify their message by developing their work into products or tools which can be used in activism events.

Art a process that sparks conversation and raises awareness over time, which can drive change over time.

Well done for all of your efforts today and for what you've been able to create.

There's lots of hard thinking in today's lesson, and I'm impressed with your effort.

I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson.