The Power of Cultural Strategies in the Fight for Freedom From Fear, Intimidation, Violence, Repression, and Coercion
Why Cultural Work is Essential to Defeating Authoritarianism and Building Inclusive Democracy
Authoritarianism is not just a political system—it is a culture. It thrives by reshaping narratives, controlling collective memory, and suppressing diverse voices. To resist authoritarianism effectively, we must engage in cultural strategies that counteract its influence, using art, storytelling, and performance to create a more inclusive democracy.
What Are Cultural Strategies?
Cultural strategies, as conceived of by activists such as Liz Manne, Erin Potts, and Jeff Chang, involve the use of cultural work to shift narratives, shape political consciousness, and mobilize communities. These strategies include:
Shifting dominant narratives: Creating alternative stories that challenge authoritarian myths and highlight marginalized voices.
Building cultural power: Strengthening artistic and creative communities that serve as hubs for resistance and social change.
Creating shared symbols of resistance: Using visual art, music, performance, and storytelling, especially but not exclusively in a participatory ways, to build solidarity and inspire action.
Occupying and reclaiming public spaces: Transforming physical and digital spaces into arenas of dissent and democratic expression.
Mobilizing through cultural production: Leveraging film, literature, and digital media to amplify movement messages and engage broader audiences.
Challenging historical erasure: Preserving histories of resistance through documentation, storytelling, and community archiving.
Cultural Work Shapes Collective Memory and Resilience
Authoritarians Rewrite History: Dictatorships manipulate history to justify their rule and erase resistance movements.
Art as a Counter-Narrative: Visual art, literature, and film preserve historical truths, ensuring that stories of resistance are not lost.
Documentary & Storytelling as Tools of Truth: Authoritarian regimes rely on disinformation—storytelling humanizes resistance and centers marginalized voices.
Art and Performance Generate Emotional Connection and Mobilization
Facts Alone Do Not Inspire Action: People act on emotion, not just logic. Poetry, film, and performance create visceral experiences that make injustice impossible to ignore.
Music and Performance Build Solidarity: Protest music, spoken word, and theater create shared emotional experiences, deepening collective action.
Time-Based Art as a Tool for Reflection: Installations, performance pieces, and durational works force audiences to engage deeply with complex issues, cultivating sustained resistance.
Visual Culture Can Undermine Authoritarian Symbols and Myths
Authoritarianism Relies on Spectacle: Flags, marches, and propaganda create a culture of fear and obedience.
Subversive Art Disrupts Political Myths: Satire, public murals, and viral digital content can mock authoritarian leaders, destabilizing their legitimacy.
Art Reclaims Public Space: Occupying physical and digital space with dissenting visuals disrupts authoritarian dominance over media and public consciousness.
Culture Creates Alternative Spaces for Democracy
Authoritarianism Shrinks Public Imagination: It tells people “there is no alternative.” Art makes new futures feel possible.
Grassroots Media Challenges State-Controlled Narratives: Independent film, alternative news outlets, and social media art projects bypass state propaganda and offer platforms for dissent.
Creative Expression Helps People Reclaim Agency: Writing, performing, and creating empower individuals to see themselves as agents of change rather than passive subjects.
Eleven Examples of Effective Cultural Strategies from the U.S. and Around the World
The Civil Rights Movement Freedom Songs (U.S.) – Protest songs like "We Shall Overcome" built on spirituals familiar to the community and made them more politically explicit, unifying activists and reinforcing the movement’s spirit as activists learned the songs and sang them together in meetings and public protests.
The Chicano Murals Movement (U.S.) – Public murals in the 1960s and 70s reclaimed space and asserted cultural identity against systemic oppression.
Thai Pro-Democracy Flash Mobs (Thailand) – Using pop culture references like the Hunger Games' three-finger salute as a symbol of resistance against authoritarian rule.
Chile’s “No” Campaign (Chile, 1988) – A creative media campaign used humor and positivity to defeat Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in a national referendum.
South African Anti-Apartheid Theatre (South Africa) – Street theater and plays by groups like the Market Theatre exposed apartheid’s brutality and mobilized global solidarity.
Hong Kong’s Lennon Walls (Hong Kong, 2019) – Public spaces filled with sticky notes carrying messages of defiance and hope during protests against China’s influence.
Indigenous Land Back Movement (Global, Canada, U.S.) – Art, ceremonies, and storytelling used to assert Indigenous sovereignty and reclaim stolen lands.
Pussy Riot’s Guerrilla Performances (Russia) – Feminist punk rock protests in public spaces drew international attention to political repression in Russia.
Black Lives Matter Street Murals (U.S.) – Massive street paintings of "Black Lives Matter" in major cities became powerful, visual declarations of resistance.
The Ukrainian War Effort through Street Art (Ukraine, 2022-Present) – Murals and performances across Ukraine and abroad highlighting the resilience of Ukrainian identity amid Russian aggression.
ACT-UP (U.S.) – The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP) used direct action, die-ins, and powerful visual campaigns, including the “Silence = Death” poster, to challenge government neglect of the AIDS crisis and demand healthcare justice.
Key Takeaways: Why Cultural Strategy Must Be Central to Pro-Democracy Movements
Storytelling shifts political consciousness by personalizing oppression and making struggles relatable.
Art disrupts authoritarian control of public narratives and creates symbols of resistance.
Performance builds solidarity and fosters collective action by creating shared experiences.
Alternative media platforms challenge authoritarian control of information and inspire civic engagement.
Visual culture transforms public spaces into arenas of dissent and counteracts oppressive iconography.
How to Incorporate Cultural Work into Resistance Strategies
Support artists and cultural workers who amplify democratic values and marginalized voices.
Use film and storytelling as tools of education—create and share content that exposes authoritarian tactics.
Occupy public spaces with resistance art—murals, street performance, and projections disrupt authoritarian symbolism.
Encourage poetry and personal storytelling as forms of grassroots journalism and historical preservation.
Leverage digital platforms to circulate counter-narratives and empower decentralized cultural resistance.
Final Thought: Culture is Not a Luxury—It is a Battlefield
We cannot defeat authoritarianism through policy and elections alone. Culture shapes the way people perceive reality, who they believe they are, and what they think is possible. If we leave culture in the hands of authoritarians, we cede the most powerful tool for shaping society. By investing in cultural work, we lay the foundation for a democratic future where all voices matter, and no one is erased.