Art and Social Change

One of the things I enjoyed most about Chicago was the incredible diversity.  There are so many different types of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities living in the city.  There is pretty clear segregation between areas where people of different ethnic origin live.  We visited Chinese, Mexican, and African neighborhoods over the five days we were in Chicago.  This division partly came about because of strict housing regulations years ago and racist attitudes, but it also created communities where people are reminded of their cultural identity and remain in touch with their past while also being a part of American culture.  This led me to think about how a person can live in America while also remaining true to their own culture and country of origin.  Everyone who lives in America is an immigrant in a way; it’s just that some are more recent than others, so how does that affect a person’s identity-- or the way she sees herself?  Some immigrants are afraid of losing their connection with the countries of their ancestors in the process of assimilation.  One outlet for staying in touch with one’s culture is through artistic expression.  Abby Scher says, “In the arts, we are each in our own way engaged in a battle against homogenization, struggling to build a new sense of ourselves, a sense of possibility, and a way of seeing outside of the ordinary” (6). This includes theater, murals, and architecture among other things.  I think art can also significantly change our perceptions and mindset, and in the process, elicit social change.  Art can be used to point out injustices and social constructions that we might not have noticed otherwise. 

In Pilsen, a Mexican neighborhood, we went on a mural tour and learned about the different murals painted on the sides of buildings.  I was amazed at how many murals there were all over Chicago-- underneath all of the train overpasses.  In Pilsen many of them were focused on aspects of the community.  One mural depicted water flowing from a pair of hands and splashing around the heads of people from the area—children and teachers from the school nearby.  Water is an important resource and so is knowledge; the teachers have speech bubbles coming out of their mouths, representative of them imparting knowledge on the children.  Murals and other forms of community art have been known to generate “community pride” and “a new awareness of self worth” (Time).  There was another mural that showed a family fighting with each other; they were behind bars and could not see the key needed to unlock them.  However, the wall beside it showed the family escaping from the bars and showed their hands clasped together instead of held up in anger.  This is a lesson in communication; when the family talks to each other and does not just focus on the individual needs of one person but rather what is best for the family as a whole, they are happy and end up making tamales together.  Once people work together on creating a mural, they “verbalize a problem instead of lashing out blindly at society” (Time).

  Another school in Pilsen was covered with mosaics of significant individuals in Mexican-American history.  Jose Guerrero, our tour guide and local artist, told us that the mosaics were meant to teach the children about their Mexican roots and their unique culture so they would know where they came from and who they are.  I think that is valuable information to know and it was wonderful to see a community in which art was so important.  Scher says that “Art can honor our past by creating a record of what we have done, thus anchoring us for our move into the future” (6).  Jose spoke wise words when he said “there is no such thing as art for art’s sake;” art always has a purpose.

Art is a powerful tool for educating people about social issues and initiating change-- and theater is a part of that.  My favorite play of the week was the Albany Park Theater Project production of Home/Land.  It was performed by a group of high-schoolers from the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago.  They had been working on it for a year, starting with interviewing immigrants about their experiences in coming to the U.S.  The stories of losing loved ones and trying to survive while providing for their families were very powerful.  The goal of APTP is to share the stories of those who may not have a voice in mainstream society.  Since the kids are involved in the entire production it becomes a learning experience, they not only perform the plays but write them as well.  Because some of the schools in that area are not very well funded, APTP also provides an after-school tutoring program, which helps raise the grades of the students who come to APTP and gives them a better chance at being accepted into a good college. 

On their website, there is a video of alumni of APTP as well as supporters of the project, and they all give high praise of their experiences there.  One member remarked that they “get people’s stories that would be lost,” they record the voices of “people who are stigmatized and need to be heard” (aptpchicago.org).  This is a concept that we talked about in class, and is something I find very appealing about theater.  Documentary theater can create historical accounts and give voice to minorities in the way it presents certain events.  Home/Land forced the audience to think about immigrants as real people, and think about immigration as something that is happening—specifically in Chicago but also many other towns.  The ensemble members helped gather the stories and write the play, which gave them a special connection to the stories and made it more likely for them to participate in activism against unfair immigration laws.  One member said that for him APTP was “more than theater, it’s about social activism” (aptpchicago.org).  The community that is created as a result of kids coming together to learn and create art, combined with the people that come to see the shows, is a beautiful thing.  While the members might be of different backgrounds and ethnicities, this project gives them something they can all be a part of.  Scher says, “Community arts can create a safe space that allows us to trust and be open to change” (5).

The acting was incredible, it was clear that they had practiced and had good direction. There was even music and choreography integrated in the show.  In one of the last scenes they showed images on TV screens of recent protests regarding unfair immigration legislation.  This is particularly relevant because of the controversial legislation in Arizona saying that anyone who looks like an immigrant can get pulled over.  While these images played out the kids stomped and danced and the result was that the audience felt excited about future changes.  Showing that protests are happening makes the audience want to join in; it is important to end on a high note because then we feel hopeful instead of sad, and we feel like we can actually make change happen instead of feeling like there is nothing we can do.  One supporter of APTP said that the performances “hit you like a sledgehammer” and when you leave you are a “different person” than when you came in (aptpchicago.org).  Home/Land is the perfect example of art that makes you think, and leads to social change. 

A place with so much diversity and culture demonstrates what kind of social awareness and progress can come about from artistic expression and working together as a community.

Works Cited:

Albany Park Theatre Project. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://aptpchicago.org>.

Scher, Abby. "Can The Arts Change The World? The Transformative Power Of Community Arts." New Directions For Adult & Continuing Education 116 (2007): 3-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

"The Mural Message." Time 105.14 (1975): 89. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.