Episode 6: Activism and Social Change

What leads people to stand up, speak out and demand change? How have the protests, campaigns and everyday actions of people in the past shaped the rights and freedoms we experience today?

Through objects such as a Yolngu bark petition, Faith Bandler’s gloves and a Mardi Gras costume, this final video highlights the many ways Australians have pushed for change – including campaigns for First Nations people’s land rights, women’s equality, environmental protections and LGBTQI+ rights. Host Jack Evans and curators Suzanne and Craig explore the many strategic and creative approaches used by activists to communicate their messages, from combining First Nations law with Western systems to using symbolic objects and public demonstrations.

Reading sources

Take a closer look at the primary sources featured in the video, and others from this era from our collection.

View Gallery Badge featuring a sketch of a Leyland Atlantean double-decker bus with a rainbow over the top, labelled 'THE PEACE BUS / driving for disarmament'.

Badge featuring a sketch of a Leyland Atlantean double-decker bus with a rainbow over the top, labelled 'THE PEACE BUS / driving for disarmament'.

View Gallery Gas mask painted red, white and black with black cloth hood attached. The front section has been painted white to give the appearance of a skull. The end of the nose cone has been painted red and black in the form of a radiation symbol. A black cloth hood has been sewn onto the back of the mask in order to fully cover the head when worn.

Gas mask painted red, white and black with black cloth hood attached. The front section has been painted white to give the appearance of a skull. The end of the nose cone has been painted red and black in the form of a radiation symbol. A black cloth hood has been sewn onto the back of the mask in order to fully cover the head when worn.

View Gallery

A photograph of Benny Zable in costume outside of the South Australian Parliament House in 1987. Zable is standing in front of a banner of Australia with a no nuclear sign. Handwriting is apparent on the side of the photo stating: "Performance and Display at a Roxby Downs Protest Rally outside South Australian Parliament House Adelaide 1984". The photograph is taped to a brown card with a "Peace Arts Victoria 86" pamphlet taped to the back.

View Gallery A rectangular bark painting that forms a border around a typed petition on paper. The bark is painted with yellow, white, brown, red, and black ochre. The border depicts a man, a kangaroo, a turtle, a dugong, a crocodile, a stingray, fish, several birds, and a canoe on a background of cross-hatching.

A rectangular bark painting that forms a border around a typed petition on paper. The bark is painted with yellow, white, brown, red, and black ochre. The border depicts a man, a kangaroo, a turtle, a dugong, a crocodile, a stingray, fish, several birds, and a canoe on a background of cross-hatching.

View Gallery A pair of ladies' short white gloves, without a manufacturer's label. They have a zig zag stitch decoration and partial double fold at hem to wrist edge.

A pair of ladies' short white gloves, without a manufacturer's label. They have a zig zag stitch decoration and partial double fold at hem to wrist edge.

View Gallery

A handmade coat created from the fabric of a Paisley shawl. The A-line woollen coat has long sleeves and a V neck with a red zip sewn into the centre front. It is lined with a light brown viyella (wool and cotton blend fabric). The woven Paisley fabric is highly patterned and coloured light green, mid green, cream, orange, red and brown, and features a repeated teardrop motif. There are a number of small holes and tears in the fabric.

View Gallery Orante black and gold costume dress.

View Gallery Banner for climate strike with handprints from children.

Activities

Select one item from the slideshow above that represents a campaign for change.
- Describe your chosen item.
- What issue does the item represent? Provide the historical context for how it came to be.
- Whose voices are represented? Whose might be missing?
- Who was the intended audience for this object?
- How does the object or action pictured act as an effective tool for change?
- How did the context (time, audience, political climate) shape its impact?
- Whose voices were more likely to be heard at the time? Why?
- What changes resulted from the campaign (e.g. laws, attitudes, rights)?
Present your item to the class as a ‘mini curator talk’.
Apply what you have learned about effective movements for change to your own life and the issues that matter to you:
- Identify an issue you feel passionate about.
- Reflect on the strategies used in the Museum’s collection and what you learned from the episode.

Design a campaign that includes a clear goal (the change you want to achieve), a target audience (who you need to influence) and a campaigning method (e.g. petition, social media, protest, symbolic object, speech). Create an item to support your campaign (e.g. poster, slogan, post, symbolic object or campaign logo).

Justify your approach: