Creative vs. Conventional Activism – Published in Social Movement Studies Journal

Stephen Duncombe and Silas Harrebye’s evidence-based, empirical, academic research demonstrates the effectiveness of creative activism

On a busy bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark, C4AA Co-Founder and Research Director Stephen Duncombe, along with Silas Harrebye, designed and staged a public experiment. They tested the comparative effect and affect of creative vs. more conventional forms of activism over a three day period.

[The study] found that a creative approach was more effective at delivering on awareness, engagement, and receptiveness

By analyzing differences and similarities on several levels including:

• attention
• thought
• feeling
• memory
• action

they found that a creative approach was more effective at delivering on awareness, engagement, and receptiveness than conventional means.

Another exciting result: people they interviewed and observed were more positive towards the creative interventions than more conventional ones. Follow-up surveys revealed that creative activism proved to be more memorable and result in more ensuing action on the issues. 

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