South-to-South Communications

South-to-South Communications: The Role of Mediactivism, Art-ivism and Visibility to Fight Marginalisation

In this presentation, Andrea Medrado analyses a South-to-South connection between media-activists and art-ivists – artists who are activists – in the Global South. She explores some of the characteristics of such connection, identifies their unique contributions to the study of media and social change and discusses their long-term sustainability. Her focus lies on the exchanges between Latin America (Brazil) and Africa (Kenya). However, although these are countries located in the geographic South, her understanding of Global Souths, in the plural, extends beyond geographic locations. Rather, these “South(s)” feature as metaphors for oppression and human suffering under capitalism (Sousa Santos, 2014; Mignolo, 2008).

Andrea tackles the following question: How can media-activist and art-ivist creative practices be used as tools for global movement building, challenging the colonial legacy of fragmented relationships between Global South peoples? When exchanging experiences, visibility emerges as an important theme. It features as a double-edged sword, representing an essential tool for recognition, but also working as means of control.

Drawing from in-depth interviews, and from (digital) ethnographic observations, Andrea develops the “Stepping into Visibility Model”, mapping out media-activists’ and art-ivists’ visibility journeys (Medrado and Rega, 2019). She applies the model to two case studies: (a) media-activists in a Brazilian favela and their use of social media for protection against police violence (Maré Vive) and (b) the work of a Kenyan “art-ivist” hub and a photographer who produces images of Nairobi at night to discuss social anxiety themes (PAWA 254 and Msingi Sasis).

Andrea hopes to offer a contribution to activists from marginalised communities by discussing the implications of stepping into unintended visibility. By sharing these experiences from and between Brazil and Kenya, the talk offers an example of how South-to-South dialogues can open further avenues for activist research and research-informed activism.

Biography

Andrea Medrado is a Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication of the University of Westminster. She worked as the Co-Investigator for the eVoices Network, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC UK), analysing different uses of digital technologies and art-ivism (art + activism) to fight marginalisation in countries of the Global South. Recently, she has been elected Vice President of IAMCR (The International Association for Media and Communication Research). In addition to her academic career, Andrea has extensive experience working as a creative writer for political campaigns in Brazil.