Module 4: Guide to Training on ART-ivism

The facilitator's role

The facilitator guides participants in exploring how art can be used as a tool for social change. They introduce the concept of artivism, provide inspiring real-world examples, support creative expression, and help participants reflect on the social impact of their work. The facilitator balances guidance with freedom, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and thought-provoking environment.

Key focus points

Introduce artivism and relevant examples (e.g. the Guerrilla Girls).
Clarify learning objectives and the social issues being addressed.
Support creativity while respecting participants' ideas and styles.
Encourage critical reflection on messages and impact.
Ensure ethical practices and safety during creation.
Facilitate discussion on applying artivism beyond the workshop.

Training structure

A clear step-by-step structure that facilitators can follow.

1. Introduction
Facilitators introduce artivism, explain its meaning, and share real-world examples. Participants learn why art can be a powerful tool for social change.
2. Interactive activities
Learners take part in creative exercises such as role-play, storytelling, and game design. These activities help them practise applying artivism in youth work.
3. Debrief & reflection
After each activity, participants share what they experienced and learned. They reflect on emotions, insights, and how they could use these tools in their own contexts.
4. Feedback & evaluation
The session ends with participants giving feedback and discussing how they will apply artivism in their communities. This consolidates learning and plans future use.

Structuring the training this way ensures a clear flow — starting with context, moving into hands-on practice, then allowing space for reflection and feedback. This balanced approach helps participants not only understand artivism but also experience it directly and think about how to apply it in their own youth work.

Examples of activities and workshops

Workshop activity

Bridge of Values

Goal: To understand different perspectives and appreciate diversity.
Method: Participants stand along an imaginary line representing a spectrum of opinions on various topics (e.g. freedom of expression, equality, art as activism). Each participant explains their position.

Workshop activity

Silent Acting

Goal: To use body language and creative expression to highlight youth-related challenges.
Method: Groups receive scenarios such as unemployment, bullying, or discrimination. They perform the situation silently, relying on gestures and emotions. A debrief follows, where the group reflects on the message and possible solutions.

Workshop activity

Create Your Own Game

Goal: Foster creative thinking and educational tool design.
Method: Teams design a simple educational game around a social topic (e.g. teamwork, mental health, conflict resolution), using basic materials such as cards, dice and paper.

Real life practice

Game 1: “Value Sorting”

Objective: help youth distinguish between what they can change and what they cannot control.

Each participant chooses 5 values they find important.
They then reduce the list to 3, and finally to 1.
Debrief: why did you choose this value? Do your values differ from others? Why?

Real life example

Artivism in action: Manshiyat Nasser, Cairo

The Youth Association for Women's Care and Environmental Improvement in Manshiyat Nasser, Cairo, uses interactive theatre and graffiti as tools of artivism to address social issues such as promoting positive masculinity, combating sexual harassment, rejecting gender-based violence, and challenging gender inequality. In their project “Combating Sexual Harassment” they used theatre, graffiti, and origami in public spaces to raise awareness about tackling violence against women and girls in public streets and pathways through the Safe Cities initiative.

Sample short theatre script: “The Empty Chair”

Characters: three young people from different backgrounds. Summary: at a youth centre, three friends discuss the absence of one of their peers, who stopped attending due to feeling excluded and bullied.

Open a conversation about inclusion, diversity, and peer support.
After the play, facilitate a discussion about similar real-life experiences.
Invite participants to write symbolic support letters to the “missing friend”.

Real life example

Artivism in action: Aswan, “The Bread Theatre”

In Aswan, the Peace Makers Association organized a theatre arts workshop called “The Bread Theatre”. Using Theatre of the Oppressed, participants expressed community issues such as racism, diversity, and discrimination. The performance was presented at the Aswan Cultural Palace to 50 community members, including civil society activists, and was facilitated by international trainer David Diamond. Alongside theatre, the association used painting and collage to promote community peace and highlight social values that foster peacebuilding within Egyptian society.

The facilitator's role

Key focus points

Training structure

1. Introduction

2. Interactive activities

3. Debrief & reflection

4. Feedback & evaluation

Examples of activities and workshops

Bridge of Values

Silent Acting

Create Your Own Game

Real life practice

Game 1: “Value Sorting”

Artivism in action: Manshiyat Nasser, Cairo

Sample short theatre script: “The Empty Chair”

Artivism in action: Aswan, “The Bread Theatre”

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