Newsletter #3 - Blue Activism
Ahoy there insight crew! InsightOS has taken on a nautical vibe since the last newsletter. We are using the dynamism of the ocean to help our minds survive the cultural storm that engulfs us.
First, some theory: back before the (so-called) Enlightenment, ships around Europe would collect wandering madmen, who (it seems) were given licence to roam freely. These ships would return them, perhaps, to their hometowns or, perhaps, drop them at port cities. These 'ships-of-fools' haunted the imagination of the Renaissance and, in the twentieth century, they captured the imagination of the historian Michel Foucault, who would begin his Madness and Civilization by reflecting upon this wet metaphor:
"Navigation delivers man to the uncertainty of fate; on water, each of us is in the hands of his own destiny; every embarkation is, potentially, the last. It is for the other world that the madman sets sail in his fools' boat" - Foucault, Madness and Civilization
Launching 'Blue Activism' and 'Change the Menu'
A collective needs a navigational compass. So, after we all agreed that the Seaspiracy documentary had an urgent message, we installed water-based activism next to InsightOS's steering wheel. At present, it consists of the following pages:
- Blue Operations - where we are planning 'Change the Menu'
- Blue Imagination - where we map nautical metaphors to help operations
- Activism Glossary - where we define tools of protest
- Understanding Capitalism - where we look at the way the system moves
We've been using Pantone's colour 'Caribbean Sea' to signify Blue Activism.
Inextricable: An Insight Gaming Experience
Before 'Blue Activism' flooded our bandwidth, we had begun exploring a new experiential method for running insight experiences.
In our Insight Salon #5, we innovated a game that we're giving the working title 'Inextricable'. This name reflects an essential idea about collaboration - thoughts between collaborators become inextricably merged together.
The game uses three main design principles: the A-Z format, time restraints, and DLC (downloadable content) of card sets. Customised card sets can be created for bespoke experiences, and we'll create decks that can be shared (Blue Activism one is in progress!)
Time for an interlude
Let's take a quick break from all this seriousness. Thanks to Nicole for sharing this:
Back to Saving the Planet
One video that really shows the power of digital design, applied irony and poetry is this video, shared by Renee.
And Lauren shared this beer marketing campaign which showcases sea conservation imagery and behaviours. Interestingly, it uses the advert to showcase organisations: asociaciontursiops.org, ghostfishing.org, SavetheMed.org, asociacionvellmari.com, wildlifesense.com.
And this powerful short animated documentary helps us humanise the animals that are subject to the consequences of existing models of human desire
Finally, this action by XR, planned for May 1st looks at the role of psychological forms of protest:
Floating around the country
A few InsightOS members shared some useful pictures...
Olive had to take a trip to his hometown of Bristol, a city of protest, and whilst there he snapped some of the 'writing on the wall'. These are connected with the PRSC 'People's Republic of Stokes Croft', an organisation protecting 'public spaces, cultural freedoms'.
The idea of a school for activism is inspiring a curriculum that InsightOS are developing to help organisations and individuals to increase their cultural fluency:
In Margate, Mo-Ling took some pics of the beautiful town but noticed that there is a lot of plastic around the shore. We wonder if the community couldn't organise a way to clear it up...
One way of doing this through initiatives like this, shared by Nicole:
Around the London canal there are some interesting new forms of activism. This is becoming an interesting space full of innovation and invention. These two pictures show a mock-campaign against the commercialisation of the waterways, and also the type of emergent business models that are popping-up:
And here are some other bits and pieces that we like which will shape our collective creative direction:
And Nida shared this great piece of subvertising from the person that set up London's Museum of Neoliberalism
Planning Next Steps
That's all from this newsletter. We have a few streams of insight, fun and action developing - so reach out to any of us to say 'hi' and ask how you might get involved
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