WHAT IS YOUR ART CHANGING?
What if art could do more than entertain? What if a poem could challenge a belief, a painting could start a difficult conversation, or a performance could draw attention to an issue society has learned to ignore? What if the stories we tell, the songs we sing, and the images we create could inspire people to think differently and take action? Art has a unique ability to communicate experiences and emotions that facts alone may struggle to capture. A song can make a social issue personal. A play can help an audience confront uncomfortable realities. A book can give a voice to people whose experiences have been overlooked.
What Is Artivism?
For many years, I have pondered on the word artivism. The term combines art and activism to describe the use of creative expression to raise awareness, challenge injustice, influence public opinion, and inspire social transformation. Artivism can take many forms, including music, poetry, theatre, photography, painting, film, literature, dance, and community-based art.
But artivism is not simply about creating something beautiful or expressing an opinion. It is about using creativity intentionally to engage with the world around us. It asks artists to look beyond the work itself and consider the conversations it starts, the perspectives it challenges, and the people it reaches.
When art becomes a tool for change
Uganda has examples of how creative expression can contribute to social awareness. The late Philly Lutaaya used his music and public voice to confront the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, helping bring conversations about the epidemic into public view. His work demonstrated that musicians can do more than entertain: they can use their platforms to encourage understanding and challenge harmful attitudes.
Similarly, artistic performances addressing gender-based violence can create spaces for audiences to confront the experiences of survivors, question harmful social norms, and discuss the changes needed within their communities.
Music and cultural activities can also bring people from different backgrounds together, encouraging dialogue, understanding, and peaceful coexistence. These examples remind us that art is not separate from society. It reflects our experiences, challenges our assumptions, preserves our identities, and can help us imagine a different future. The question, therefore, is not whether art can influence society, but how intentionally we choose to use it.
What does artivism look like beyond a definition?
Artivism comes alive when creative expression meets a social purpose. It could be a spoken-word poet addressing gender-based violence, a filmmaker documenting the experiences of marginalised communities, a playwright exploring child marriage, or a photographer using an exhibition to draw attention to the realities of street-connected children. For a writer, artivism might mean telling stories that challenge stereotypes or exploring issues such as mental health, poverty, inequality, and identity. For a dancer, it might involve using movement to communicate experiences that words cannot fully express. For a visual artist, it could mean creating work that questions harmful cultural beliefs or preserves stories that might otherwise be forgotten. In each case, the creative work becomes a starting point for something beyond itself: a conversation, a shift in perspective, a sense of solidarity, or a call to action.
This is particularly important for young creatives in Uganda, whose work can offer fresh perspectives on the challenges facing their communities. Yet, for creativity to achieve its full potential, young artists need more than talent. They need knowledge, platforms, networks, and opportunities to develop their work and connect it to the audiences and issues that matter. This is where initiatives such as Pakasa for Creatives become important.
Pakasa for Creatives: Creating with purpose
A while back, I had the privilege of attending the Pakasa for Creatives Forum, an event organised under the Pakasa for Creatives, an advocacy initiative of the Sanyu Centre for Crafts and Rights supported by Diakonia. The forum brought together young creatives working across different disciplines, including writing, dance, crafts, and other forms of artistic expression.
What stood out to me was the opportunity for creativity to be seen and appreciated beyond its entertainment value. The forum provided a space for participants to showcase their work, exchange ideas, and reflect on how their creative abilities could contribute to social change.
Through discussions on artivism, creatives were encouraged to think more deliberately about the purpose of their work. Rather than viewing creativity solely as a personal talent or a means of self-expression, they were challenged to consider how their art could address social issues, influence public conversations, and inspire action.
The forum also created an opportunity for young creatives to engage with stakeholders from the National Planning Authority (NPA) and leaders from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), who shared information about government programs and grants available to young people. These discussions highlighted opportunities for creatives to access support, develop their ideas, and turn their talents into sustainable ventures. It was an important reminder that empowering the creative sector requires more than encouraging artists to produce work; it also means connecting them to relevant information, funding opportunities, and support systems that can help their ideas grow and contribute to social and economic development. For young creatives navigating Uganda's creative industry, such spaces can be valuable. They create opportunities to learn, build relationships, discover possibilities, and recognise that their work has a place in wider conversations about society and development. Ultimately, the Pakasa for Creatives forum highlighted an important idea: art can do more than reflect society; it can question it, engage it, and contribute to changing it.
Beyond talent: The mindset of a creative
As a creative myself, I understand that navigating the creative industry is not always easy. Beyond challenges such as funding and limited opportunities, we sometimes struggle with fear, perfectionism, and the possibility of rejection. We may doubt our abilities or dismiss our creativity as a hobby that does not deserve recognition or payment. I have experienced these feelings myself, but I am learning that fear should not prevent us from sharing our work. Our differences are not weaknesses; they are what allow us to tell unique stories, develop original ideas, and address social challenges in innovative ways. As creatives, we must embrace challenges, learn from failure, continually develop our skills, and recognise the value of our work. Growth takes time, and we must remain committed to creating, even when recognition does not come immediately.
Knowing your 'why'
Talent may inspire us to begin, but purpose can help us remain committed to the work.
Why do you write? Why do you dance, paint, sing, perform, or tell stories? What draws you to your craft, and what do you hope people will experience or understand through it? These questions matter because creativity becomes more intentional when we understand the reasons behind it. Knowing our why can help us identify the issues we care about, the audiences we want to reach, and the contribution we hope to make. I believe that our gifts can extend beyond our individual ambitions. Our talents can entertain, educate, preserve culture, create opportunities, challenge injustice, and help others feel seen and understood. When we recognise this, creativity becomes not only a personal pursuit but also an opportunity to contribute to something greater than ourselves. However, purpose alone is not enough. Creatives also need the practical knowledge and skills to turn their ideas into sustainable projects.
My experience with the Writing for Change program, delivered under Pakasa for Creatives, reinforced this understanding. Through the program, I gained knowledge of policy and legal frameworks relevant to my field, proposal writing, engaging target audiences, and article and blog writing. These were valuable skills that strengthened my understanding of how creative ideas can be developed, communicated, and supported. The experience left me feeling better equipped to use my writing and communication skills to contribute to my community. It also reminded me that empowering creatives means investing in both their artistic abilities and their capacity to turn ideas into meaningful action. When young creatives understand their rights, know how to communicate their ideas, build networks, and identify opportunities for support, they are better positioned to create work that is both impactful and sustainable.
Creating for more than applause
The Pakasa for Creatives Forum left me reflecting on the responsibility that comes with being a creative. It reminded me that our work can be more than a demonstration of talent. It can become a tool for dialogue, awareness, connection, and change. Applause is temporary, but the impact of a meaningful creative work can extend far beyond the moment it is presented. A poem can give language to an experience someone has struggled to express. A song can challenge an assumption. A dance can communicate a story without words, while a handmade craft can preserve culture and identity. This does not mean every creative work must address a social problem or carry a political message. Art has value in its beauty, entertainment, imagination, and ability to bring people joy. Rather, it means that when we choose to engage with social issues through our work, we should recognise the possibilities that creativity offers. As young creatives, we must continue to develop our craft, seek opportunities to learn, collaborate with others, and create spaces where our work can reach the people who need to experience it. The forum is a reminder of what becomes possible when young artists are encouraged to think beyond their individual talents and consider the wider role of creativity in society. So, as you return to your writing desk, studio, stage, workshop, or editing room, I invite you to reflect on one question.
What is your art changing?
Is it challenging a harmful belief? Starting a conversation that people have avoided? Preserving a story that deserves to be remembered? Helping someone feel seen? Or inspiring a community to imagine a better future? Whatever your craft may be, there is an opportunity to create with intention. The challenge is not simply to produce more art, but to recognise what our art can make possible. And perhaps that is where meaningful change begins: with a creative who dares to ask not only what they can make, but what their creation can do.
Written by Jenniffer Laker
Jennifer Laker is a Ugandan communications professional, writer, creative and certified public speaker with a keen interest in psychology, artivism, literature and social impact. She holds a degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Public Administration and minoring in Psychology. Her work explores the intersection of creativity, human behaviour and social change, with a particular interest in using storytelling and creative expression to address societal issues.
She is the founder of The Authors Mind Initiative, an initiative dedicated to amplifying African writers and creating greater visibility for African literature. Through this platform, she explores the power of storytelling beyond entertainment, particularly its potential to inspire conversations, challenge social perceptions and influence change. Jennifer has experience in communications, youth advocacy and community engagement, having previously served as a Peer Educator and Volunteer at Reproductive Health Uganda. She also served as Communications Officer and Brand Ambassador for the In The Eyes of an Orphan project, where she contributed to storytelling and awareness initiatives centred on the experiences of orphaned children. She is currently developing her writing practice through the Writing for Change programme under Pakasa for Creatives. Her writing interests span psychology, creative development, social issues, literature and the role of the creative arts in shaping society. She is also a contributor to conversations on creativity and social impact through podcasting and public engagement. Through her writing and creative pursuits, Jennifer hopes to explore ideas that challenge perspectives, encourage critical reflection and demonstrate the transformative power of storytelling and the arts.
You can connect with Jennifer through her social platforms on Instagram@ 25authorsmind (Authors Mind) and Jennifer Laker (LinkedIn) and Jenny-Laker (Instagram)
An amazing piece. Well done Jennifer and Pakasa for Creatives