My Time at Social Media Week Activism in the Social and Digital Age Event

On 13th June, I was invited by Sarah Woodhouse to a panel event during Social Media Week Bristol entitled 'Activism in the Social and Digital Age'. This is my take on the event and the insights i took away from it.

The panel was led by activist and 'positive disruptor' Bess Hepworth who's aim is to make the online world lovely offline. Pointing out that most of the time 'things f*** up' when taking part in activism was one of my favourite take aways from the event - although my own activism is usually very very small this was advice that was really helpful to me at the given time as really I should be doing things and getting things done rather than doing or getting things perfect.

The panelists, who each did a five minute presentation on their personal activist work and then took part in a group panel, were: Shannon Power, an LGBTI+ activist who works for the queer media company Gay Star News; Bisi Alimi, an 'angelic troublemaker' for the LGBTI+ community in Nigeria and; Josh Connor, who works for Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants. Each had powerful themes and showed how social/digital media can be used by activists and the pros and cons of its use.

I was most inspired by the way in which Shannon and the Gay Star News channel utilise the digital world, especially the company's move from reporting on news about LGBTI+ to empowering others and doing activism to effect more change for the community worldwide. Their 'Digital Pride' turns the 'little islands' of varying restrictions and groupings within the community into a 'mass' that is neither restrictive nor oppressive. This is something that I feel could be done for the disabled - another community that is restricted varyingly and is prejudiced both outside and within.

The event then ended (for me anyway!) with Bess chatting with Nika and Olya, two members of the Russian activists Pussy Riot. They discussed the before, during and after of running onto a football pitch during the World Cup dressed as police and how it and other protesting they have attempted has made their messages be louder and clearer across the world. My favourite quote from their talk was the particularly brilliant 'Russia is not Putin, Russia is Pussy Riot', underlining that a country does not revolve around only the negative people and events but also the more positive and inspiring.

Huge thanks to Sarah for inviting me to the event and everyone who took part in the event and all other events during Social Media Week in Bristol. I'm looking forward to going along to more Social Media Week events in the not too distant future...

Beth x