Artivism, Art for Activism, is a project within Shakti Shalini Prevention of Gender/ Sexual Violence Program with the vision and mission to deploy art as the site of feminist action, activism, critical thinking, awareness, discussion, debate, collectivisation, free expression, and therapeutic impact.
Some of the central work in Artivism takes place through Shakti Shalini’s partnership with Pandies’ Theatre since 1995. Pandies is a Delhi-based activist theatre troupe that facilitates theatre workshops and performances with the residents of Pehchan, Shakti Shalini’s shelter home for women in distress, and residents of five socio-economically marginalised communities in South-East Delhi, specifically, Nehru Nagar Block 7, Nehru Nagar Block 10, Jal Vihar, Shriniwas Puri, and Aadiwasi Camp. In addition to theatre, Artivism also conducts volunteer-based fine art, and art and craft workshops.
Arts forms such as theatre, dance, music, fine art, art and craft, photography, and so on are cultural sites and registers through which ideological change must be facilitated to conduct a political opposition to oppression, violence, and discrimination. Arts can become the points through which one negotiates, engages with, analyses and critiques one’s context thereby developing one’s political and social consciousness, self-reflexivity, knowledge and identity. Last but not the least, arts are charged with powerful affective energies and flows that may create spaces of freedom, dignity, and hope crucial to healing and therapeutic impact.