In a week that has seen global attention focused on Bob Geldof and the Live 8 series of concerts it would appear that the link between artists and activism is stronger than ever. But cultural activism, the catchall term used to describe the work of artists who challenge the cultural status quo, demands a lot more of its proponents than simply gathering a gaggle of pop stars for a number of one-off performances.
Cultural activism is a bit like another oft-used catchall, ‘sustainability,’ in that everyone knows it is supposed to mean, and what it isn’t, but we tend to get into a flap when asked to describe what it looks like in practice.
