Group: Action

Method: Activism

Description of Method:
Displays, walks, performances or events staged to support or oppose specific issues or proposals in the local area. These protests can occur inside or in the windows of the UR, or can spill out into the surrounding area.

Purpose of Method:
The Urban Room methodology is to create a space for open and transparent exploration of issues in the local area. Specific areas of concern may emerge from this exploration that participants in the Urban Room feel motivated to directly support or oppose. Activism crystallises this concern into an action that brings the issue into the public realm, communicates it more widely in the hope of gaining further support, and calls for a response from decision-makers. Ultimately activism aims to build enough campaigning strength to lead to changes that benefit local communities and their place.

Suitable Audience:
This is a method that involves a high level of engagement from participants. Not everyone will feel comfortable engaging in direct action and all participation should be entirely voluntary. Aim for buy-in for activism from as wide a range of local people as possible to ensure that it is as representative as possible and not in danger of being hijacked by a small but vocal group that doesn’t represent the wider community. The audience for this activism will be local people more widely, the press and decision-makers.