PLAY: Privilege and Resistance

Resistance against oppressive systems and the role of recognizing one’s privileges in our society are often perceived as serious matters. This orientation is greatly justified due to the ways oppression impacts and harms people and our planet daily. However, this somber timbre and mindset can limit our discussions, learning, and imagination of what is possible.

Toni Cade Bambara once said: “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” This means that our collective efforts to create sudden, radical, or complete change in our society must also include the attributes that make life so wonderful, delicious, and exciting. This includes play- engaging in something for enjoyment.

This roundtable focuses on artists who use play in their creative process to address societal privileges and accentuate our need for resistance against oppression and oppressive systems.

Questions we will consider:

• What brings you pleasure and enjoyment in this life?
• How have you seen or experienced things that bring you pleasure and enjoyment incorporated into efforts to create social change?
• What role does play have in your creative practice as an artist? Or What stands out to you from artists who incorporate play in their creative expressions and works?

Questions to kick off the conversation:

• What brought you enjoyment from the featured artist examples?
• What would happen if we approached topics like privilege and resistance against oppression more playfully?