Art of Belonging

Protest Placards

Workshop Description

Participants will learn about art and slogans displayed in protests, and create their own protest placard to express their feelings about an important issue.

Inspired by protest placards from a range of issues around the world, issues important to the participants and other current issues.

Workshop Aims

  1. To identify and express issues that are important to the participants 
  2. To create a range of protest placards, which can be displayed or used in a procession   

Materials Required

  • large sheet of paper
  • cardboard 
  • scissors 
  • pencils
  • paints
  • marker pens or paint pens  
  • any other materials  

Workshop Activities

  1. Show the group a range of images of people attending protests, and the artwork and messages they make and display to highlight the causes that have brought them into the streets.  
  2. Group discussion and brainstorming on a large sheet of paper to identify the current, global or personal issues they feel are most important. Select an issue and work out a simple slogan or message to get each participant’s point about this issue across. Images can also be used.  
  3. Sketch the message onto a piece of cardboard.
  4. Use marker pens, paint, etc to make the message stand out from the card.
  5. Tape a stick to the back to be able to hold the message up high.

You could narrow down this workshop to focus on a specific theme relevant to the group or a current local or global issue. The group could decide which issue they want to focus on by discussing what is most important them. 

Some participants may wish to work in their own languages, or use google translate to assist them in sharing their message with others. 

Any materials can be used to create these placards, the main thing is to make them bold and easy to read in an instant. 

Placards could be used to create a display or taken to an actual protest. If it is not safe for participants to attend the protest themselves (e.g. due to immigration status) they can be represented at a protest by having their placards carried by others.