Radical beauty

Here is a text that shows how we defined this years festival theme: Radical Beauty in the context of communication:

Beauty is a cultural creation that expresses dominant values. In the 21st century beauty is often extremely commercialized. Radical beauty is a cultural creation that expresses the desire of a change in society. Radical beauty is about changing dominant values through action and creation. Grassroots projects are often the vectors of these changings. They experiment new practices and express new values.

Radical beauty
- content: poetic dialogue and action between the world and grassroots projects or processes that are existing or yet to be realized
- process: empowering relations between people
- aesthetic: evoking a strong feeling of affection or love
- with radical beauty we want to overcome to usual criticism of social construction of beauty, mostly regarding the representations of women in media.
- radical beauty is a theme but also a communications approach - Therefore we need to channel the concept of radical beauty in to specific problems/issues

Now, watch the movie taken from Rize and respond to this position from your gut, from personal observations, from research or using all of the above. In your response, feel free to disagree with the movie Rize, or perhaps to commend on the inspirational grassroots movement shown in it : Beauty is indeed radical if used to empower people.

"Rize" reveals a groundbreaking dance phenomenon that's exploding on the streets of South Central, Los Angeles. Taking advantage of unprecedented access, this documentary film brings to first light a revolutionary form of artistic expression born from oppression.

The aggressive and visually stunning dance modernizes moves indigenous to African tribal rituals and features mind-blowing, athletic movement sped up to impossible speeds. "Rize" tracks the fascinating evolution of the dance: we meet Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown), who first created the style as a response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and named it "Clowning", as well as the kids who developed the movement into what they now call Krumping. The kids use dance as an alternative to gangs and hustling: they form their own troupes and paint their faces like warriors, meeting to outperform rival gangs of dancers or just to hone their skills. For the dancers, Krumping becomes a way of life - and, because it's authentic expression (in complete opposition to the bling-bling hip-hop culture), the dance becomes a vital part of who they are. (http://www.lionsgatefilms.com/profile/rize.php)

The Communication category is open to undergraduate and graduate students of any discipline.

There are two formats in which you can present your work:

1. Opinion Piece:

The opinion piece must reflect a personal approach to the issues raised by the movie but still make use of theories and/or case studies from the field of Communication.

Length: 5-7 Pages

On the title page, please write your first and last name, field of study, e-mail address, the title of the piece, an abstract of up to 100 words, and 6 highlighted keywords.

2. Annotated academic article

You may also present original independent research on the issue.

Length: 5-7 pages

On the title page, please write your first and last name, field of study, e-mail address, the title of the piece, a summary of up to 100 words, and 6 highlighted keywords.

Your work should be presented in standard essay form with citations that are consistent with one of the acceptable social-sciences styles.

Radical beauty

Here is a text that shows how we defined this years festival theme: Radical Beauty in the context of communication:

Beauty is a cultural creation that expresses dominant values. In the 21st century beauty is often extremely commercialized. Radical beauty is a cultural creation that expresses the desire of a change in society. Radical beauty is about changing dominant values through action and creation. Grassroots projects are often the vectors of these changings. They experiment new practices and express new values.

Radical beauty
- content: poetic dialogue and action between the world and grassroots projects or processes that are existing or yet to be realized
- process: empowering relations between people
- aesthetic: evoking a strong feeling of affection or love
- with radical beauty we want to overcome to usual criticism of social construction of beauty, mostly regarding the representations of women in media.
- radical beauty is a theme but also a communications approach - Therefore we need to channel the concept of radical beauty in to specific problems/issues

Now, watch the movie taken from Rize and respond to this position from your gut, from personal observations, from research or using all of the above. In your response, feel free to disagree with the movie Rize, or perhaps to commend on the inspirational grassroots movement shown in it : Beauty is indeed radical if used to empower people.

"Rize" reveals a groundbreaking dance phenomenon that's exploding on the streets of South Central, Los Angeles. Taking advantage of unprecedented access, this documentary film brings to first light a revolutionary form of artistic expression born from oppression.

The aggressive and visually stunning dance modernizes moves indigenous to African tribal rituals and features mind-blowing, athletic movement sped up to impossible speeds. "Rize" tracks the fascinating evolution of the dance: we meet Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown), who first created the style as a response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and named it "Clowning", as well as the kids who developed the movement into what they now call Krumping. The kids use dance as an alternative to gangs and hustling: they form their own troupes and paint their faces like warriors, meeting to outperform rival gangs of dancers or just to hone their skills. For the dancers, Krumping becomes a way of life - and, because it's authentic expression (in complete opposition to the bling-bling hip-hop culture), the dance becomes a vital part of who they are. (http://www.lionsgatefilms.com/profile/rize.php)

The Sociology category is open to undergraduate and graduate students of any discipline.

There are two formats in which you can present your work:

1. Opinion Piece:

The opinion piece must reflect a personal approach to the issues raised by the movie but still make use of theories and/or case studies from the field of Communication.

Length: 5-7 Pages

On the title page, please write your first and last name, field of study, e-mail address, the title of the piece, an abstract of up to 100 words, and 6 highlighted keywords.

2. Annotated academic article

You may also present original independent research on the issue.

Length: 5-7 pages

On the title page, please write your first and last name, field of study, e-mail address, the title of the piece, a summary of up to 100 words, and 6 highlighted keywords.

Your work should be presented in standard essay form with citations that are consistent with one of the acceptable social-sciences styles.

Radical beauty

Here is a text that shows how we defined this years festival theme: Radical Beauty in the context of communication:

Beauty is a cultural creation that expresses dominant values. In the 21st century beauty is often extremely commercialized. Radical beauty is a cultural creation that expresses the desire of a change in society. Radical beauty is about changing dominant values through action and creation. Grassroots projects are often the vectors of these changings. They experiment new practices and express new values.

Radical beauty
- content: poetic dialogue and action between the world and grassroots projects or processes that are existing or yet to be realized
- process: empowering relations between people
- aesthetic: evoking a strong feeling of affection or love
- with radical beauty we want to overcome to usual criticism of social construction of beauty, mostly regarding the representations of women in media.
- radical beauty is a theme but also a communications approach - Therefore we need to channel the concept of radical beauty in to specific problems/issues

Now, watch the movie taken from Rize and respond to this position from your gut, from personal observations, from research or using all of the above. In your response, feel free to disagree with the movie Rize, or perhaps to commend on the inspirational grassroots movement shown in it : Beauty is indeed radical if used to empower people.

"Rize" reveals a groundbreaking dance phenomenon that's exploding on the streets of South Central, Los Angeles. Taking advantage of unprecedented access, this documentary film brings to first light a revolutionary form of artistic expression born from oppression.

The aggressive and visually stunning dance modernizes moves indigenous to African tribal rituals and features mind-blowing, athletic movement sped up to impossible speeds. "Rize" tracks the fascinating evolution of the dance: we meet Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown), who first created the style as a response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and named it "Clowning", as well as the kids who developed the movement into what they now call Krumping. The kids use dance as an alternative to gangs and hustling: they form their own troupes and paint their faces like warriors, meeting to outperform rival gangs of dancers or just to hone their skills. For the dancers, Krumping becomes a way of life - and, because it's authentic expression (in complete opposition to the bling-bling hip-hop culture), the dance becomes a vital part of who they are. (http://www.lionsgatefilms.com/profile/rize.php)

As a designer, your task is to produce a work that responds to the movie Rize and explores radical beauty and uses it for creation and social action for grassroots initiatives in your communities in ways that let the world fall in love with it.

The Visual Arts Category is open to undergraduate and graduate students of any discipline.

When submitting your work, include a rationale no longer than 150 words.

Accepted Formats

A: Graphics (Static)
We accept: posters, logos, packaging illustrations, digital and analog photography and public art installations (with photo documentation and a summary of the concept in writing)
Recommended formats (in CMYK): .pdf, .eps, .jpg, .ai

B: Film/Animation
This category includes films, animations and videos. Maximum length – 60 seconds.
Recommended formats: .avi (divx/xvid/ineo), .mov, .mpg, .mpeg, .wmv, .swf, .flv, .ogg

C: Websites/Interactive
Websites and interactive creations must be supported by the majority of browsers, and must thus employ standard coding (such as Flash, Javascript, Java applets, Shockwave, etc.).

Beyond...

This category has been added to encourage those radical communicators who like to think "outside the box". While a lot of subversive writing and design has emerged which challenges the status quo using its own conventions, very few of these initiatives have employed a mode of communication that is not rooted in commercial culture itself. The "Beyond..." category hopes to bring out new visual and conceptual forms of communication which catalyze social change while engaging people as something more than mere consumers.

Please read the following summary of what does and does not belong in the Beyond… category

The Beyond... category is looking for submissions of written work and visual work. For more information on how to submit go here.

The Beyond... category is open to all students, activists, professionals, misfits, malingerers etc.

For more context on the Beyond.. category, please read:
- What is wrong with Market-style communication.
- Can we dream our way out of market culture and its devices?