How can academics and artists collaborate for positive social change? That was the question behind Art for a Better World, an exhibition translating research about pressing social challenges into expressive art showing in Cambridge for the next two weeks.
The work was initiated by two researchers from the Open University as part of a project entitled Democracy, Disinformation and Religion. Through the work, they wanted to share experience and practice to counter information manipulation, promote new research on religious institutions and communities as information actors, and generate novel interventions. Art for a Better World is part of that effort.
Visualising vaccine hesitancy
Dr Joseph Powell (a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow here in Cambridge) was among the academics paired with an artist to take visitors on a journey round the world—through cartoons, mixed media and video. Joseph worked with Kenyan political cartoonist and UN/Rana Lurie International Cartoon Award Winner Victor Ndula. Together, they visualised Joseph's research on Covid-19 scepticism and vaccine hesitancy amongst Rastafari communities in St Lucia.
Joseph reflects, “I’d never collaborated with an artist before, and found the process hugely eye opening. Not only was I presented with the chance to think about, for the first time, how my research findings might be communicated without prose. I was also given the chance to reflect on how prose might succinctly convey key ideas within my research.”
An expanded showing
The Cambridge exhibition will be augmented with works created during a Cambridge Festival workshop facilitated by artist Joanna Mamede. Participants had the opportunity to apply insights to their own projects.
The exhibition is on show in the Alison Richard Building (off West Road) from 24 March to 11 April 2025, as part of the CRASSH event series.
There is a public viewing this Friday (28 March) at 5pm—featuring reflections from aid worker and academic Dr Rick Latham Lechowick.