ONE BILLION RISING
ARTISTIC UPRISINGS
Since it began, One Billion Rising has been about the power of merging activism with art, the synthesis of
expression and political action. This year communities used dance, art and drumming to express their joy,
their outrage and their demands. They used rhythm to protest and to come back into their bodies. They
reclaimed healthy sexuality and healthy love. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monica Jahan Bose of “Storytelling
with Saris” performed a piece of street theater including a 210-foot-long sari made up of saris from women
of her mother’s village. In London, the arts activist network “Big Love Sistas”, led by artist Claire Campbell,
displayed young artists’ colorful six-foot-tall self-portraits. In Guyana, activists hosted a cultural event full
of dance, theater and poetry that honored and expressed the theme “Let the Women Speak: The Revolution
Unveiled.” Activists around the world have revolutionized the “Break the Chain” dance, they have adapted,
localized and completely re-envisioned the choreography keeping it current and relevant. Girls with
“Story Scarves” hosted
an “Artistry of Agitation” event in Soweto, South Africa. Communities and
activists around the
world incorporated a variety of artistic expressions of Revolution in their
One Billion Rising
events including posters, banners, photos, memes and more.
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