Animation for Social Change

This week my blog post focuses on how a creative tool like animation can be, and is used for social change, inspiration, and motivation. Many artists and illustrators have used animation to convey messages on several issues surrounding a society.

Recently, I read an article on why animation should be used for social change. One of the last lines of the article reads: "A well thought out animation can attract and engage a wide audience, be retained in their memory and actually change the way people see an important issue and respond to it."

This line resonated with me because it is very true. In the video below a very strong, powerful message is conveyed. This video is very well-acclaimed and was created by Rodrigo Blass.

Very often in such videos, children are the main subject or the main characters portraying a society. In my opinion, this is because we as humans show most empathy towards children than anyone else.

Another use of animation for change is through illustrations, especially of what would otherwise be considered graphic. The current situation in Syria has created turned many citizens in to refugees. 

The image below is from a Buzzfeed post which consists of artist illustrations after the story of a three year old refugee boy washing up on shore.

In my opinion, animation can play a great role in providing people with new perspectives about certain things in society and it is a great way to engage people in discussions about how a society is working.