It has been nearly a year now since the National Security Agency in Egypt arrested Egyptian cartoonist named Ashraf Omar for his drawings criticizing the regime, then months later a journalist who interviewed Omar’s wife was arrested then the wife herself was also shortly detained, to be added to the 60,000 detainees in Egyptian prisons according to the latest informal report – there are no official reports or state figures giving accurate numbers – and on the other side the regime puppets are asking for a national alignment because we are in a precarious situation and on the brink of a regional war, meaning that it is acceptable to lose the lives of tens of thousands in prisons because the time is not appropriate. At the same time, we find that the repression practiced by the Egyptian regime does not only manifest itself in the form of arrest as a consequence or punishment for the act of direct criticism, but also in a more general philosophy of killing creativity, so that everything remains defined, predictable, and under control. This can be witnessed through the security services’ monopoly on television production through one of its owned production companies, its monopoly on television channels, the strict censorship and blocking of independent digital platforms for journalism, the censorship of artworks in all sectors of the arts, in addition to the already severe control of the daily life of citizens in the street and the restriction of the media. Despite a population of over 100 million, gatherings of all kinds are not allowed, and there is a total absence of all forms of peaceful collective or individual expression of opinion; in light of the dire economic situation Egyptians live in, the suffocating political situation, the social situation charged with violence, repression and marginalization, as well as the intellectual and cultural calcification due to the security reaction to any real artistic or cultural production that raises serious questions about the current situation or criticizes the authority and its practices in any form.
Artivism as a Tool of Resistance
We can talk here about the term Artivism, which is a portmanteau word combining “Art” and “Activism”, which simply means ‘using art as a means of political and social activism’. The term reflects practices that have been around since the 1960s through protest art against wars, dictatorships, and racial discrimination, such as songs by Victor Jara, the anti-Pinochet artist who was executed in Chile, and performances by the Guerilla theater group in the United States in protest against the Vietnam War. There are also many examples in the Arab world, especially in the period immediately following the Arab Spring uprisings, such as the independent music groups in Egypt Cairokee and Ramy Essam, and in Lebanon Mashrou’ Leila, among others. Artivism differs from traditional art in terms of purpose, style and methods, given that traditional art is aimed at aesthetic expression or the expression of philosophical and personal ideas, while intersectional art or artivism aims to bring about social and political change, so it does not address the elite and intellectuals, but is directed to a wide range of audience, and an essential part of it is to be interactive, where the audience is not just a spectator for evaluation, but an active participant, such as the — The Colours of Zaatari project: Colours from Al Zaatari to support Syrian refugees in Jordan, where refugee children were involved in painting.
Art, in its essence as imagination, does not acknowledge/ accept borders, and always finds solutions and evades restrictions through symbolism and allusion to escape the traps of security censorship, in addition to being a language that does not need to be translated. In Spain during Franco’s rule from 1936 to 1975, symbolic theatre or the theatre of non-explanation was used, a form of theatre that deliberately uses ambiguity and symbolism instead of narrative and dialogue in classical theatre, most notably by the Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca . This was a response to the absolute censorship, whether of the church or of the authority, and the prohibition of criticism of them. It relied on historical and mythological symbols to represent the contemporary reality. He also used theatrical space (the spatial context of the play; spatial-geographical aspects of the play. Lorca sets the play in a vast geographical space as a symbol, and relies on the body and the actors’ movement as a substitute for dialogue.
These are some of the reasons that make art an important and effective tool against oppression, alongside the flexibility and multiplicity of methods and ways that imagination allows the artist to engage directly or indirectly, in addition to shaping consciousness and preserving collective memory and its ability to rewrite narratives, especially in the context in which we are talking about Egypt As an example, we find that the state / the regime spends millions to promote the narrative of its current ruling regime through television productions such as The Choice (TV Series 2020–2022) and songs glorifying the security apparatus and other similar methods, so it is necessary to have another narrative that is more objective and closer to the reality, as art is also a living archive of collective memory and its impact is far-reaching.
Challenges Faced by Artivism in Egypt, for example:
The iron grip of security forces on any dissident voice makes artivism as dangerous for those who practice it as any other protest or protest activity, even if it is merely a joke. As we mentioned at the beginning, the arrest of cartoonist Ashraf Omar is not the first nor will it be the last in light of the existence of the State Security Prosecution and the charges of spreading false news and joining a terrorist group, in addition to the repressive laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Law 94/2015 and the Cybercrime Law 175/2018, in addition to the media war that aims to discredit them and stigmatize them as traitors. and repressive laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Law 94/2015 and the Cybercrime Law 175/2018, in addition to the media war against artists in exile that aims to smear them and label them as traitors and spies, such as what happens with actors Amr Waked and Khaled Abu-Elnaga, for example.
In addition to the limitations of independent spaces and live censorship by the state, the closure of the TownHouse Cultural Centre in 2015, and the censorship of digital content, in 2017 the Egyptian authorities also blocked Mada Masr, an independent media platform whose activities include highlighting artivism and its movement, as well as its coverage of social, political and economic life in the country.
Also, in addition to censorship, blocking, ban and detention, there are economic and financial challenges, as there is a scarcity of supporters of independent arts on the one hand, and on the other hand the fear of donors and producing companies of clashing with the authority, and the restrictions already imposed on artistic organisations and associations supporting arts and culture.
Strategies and Solutions
It is, of course, not easy by any means, and there are no magical solutions, but based on some historical experiences, some of which we cited in previous paragraphs, with more reading and comprehension of the current reality and its dynamics and laws, we can begin to consider ways to break the siege imposed on art and creativity and its enforced isolation from reality, and create alternative spaces for expression and overcome the imposed restrictions so that art becomes not just an isolated or elitist space, but a daily resistance tool that affects, inspires and makes a sustainable impact, even in the most repressive settings.
Security Grip:
Security restrictions remain the biggest challenge that threatens the safety and security of artists, innovators and creators, and imposes a distance from directness, a resemble of what theatre artists did under Spain during Franco’s rule, using a type of theatre that existed before, yet was adapted to fit the social context back then and using religious symbols and legends associated with the Spanish society, this does not mean using codes that cannot be understood, but at least it raises questions that are left to the recipient, and stimulates his imagination and ability to think critically. This does not mean using unintelligible codes, rather raising questions that are left to the audience to contemplate and stimulating their imagination and ability to think critically, we can take inspiration from this to go beyond conventional forms of artistic and creative production and look for fresh looks and ways and methods to address pressing issues indirectly.
Since this does not entirely eliminate the risk, local and international protection networks from human rights organisations or human rights activists must be provided to defend activists either at their home country or in exile to maximise the pressure on the security services and gain more space for expression and freedom in the future, and thus the capacity to initiate change.
State Monopoly on Media and Art Production
There is an urgent need to seek unconventional methods of artistic production that fit into the current political and social situation in Egypt. Currently, by relying on independent platforms and production entities, the state’s monopoly on production can be challenged; however, this creates another challenge, which is the scarcity of donors or producers who accept anti-regime work, especially those based and operating inside the country. This necessitates more artistic and cultural activities from arts and cultural institutions and organizations to increase non-government (away from the state funds) production and provide more creative spaces for artivists.
Censorship and Content Blocking
We can start by exploring ways to utilize non-blockable digital platforms and enhancing the digital awareness of both artists and activists. This can open horizons and innovative technical solutions to bypass the blocking of digital content, as happened in Egypt starting in 2017, after several independent platforms such as Mada Masr were blocked – a practice that is still being implemented today by the authorities, as of February 2025 the Zawia3‘s website was the latest to be blocked.
Thus, some activists in Egypt and Tunisia resorted to using code-sharing sites such as GitHub to share reports and materials documenting human rights violations in a harmless, downloadable, and readable programming code. What if there were digital training for digital artists? I imagine this would produce more methods to bypass digital blocking and bans.
Economic and Financial Challenges
With the existence of online platforms such as Patreon and Kickstarter, it is possible to start thinking and exploring alternative ways to support creative projects, rather than conventional methods. Crowdfunding, partnerships, and collaboration with supporting organisations and entities can provide a more solid ground for intersectional art production and offer production alternatives outside the control of the state. Inspired by the experiences of art barter, based on the idea of participatory art economy, artists in Argentina exchanged skills and technical services instead of money during the economic crisis of the late 1990s and early 2000s, enabling artists to continue producing their artwork And share it with the community without the need for government care.
To implement this model in Egypt, we may invest in more non-commercial art festivals, promote partnerships between independent artistic entities and individuals, create platforms for artistic exchange and sharing, and utilize abandoned and neglected spaces in Egypt to transform them into spaces for artistic training or live performances.
Collective Memory and Alternative Narratives:
Establishing a censorship-resistant digital archive can serve as a solution to the deliberate distortion and demagoguery of collective memory by the state, not only by producing mega works that serve its narrative that is far from the truth and logic, but also by deleting and blocking everything that is adverse to this narrative. Documenting personal stories and experiences through blogs that include documentary works can sustain an alternative narrative, ensure its existence, and build on it in the future. It is also vital to record and document the testimonies of artists and journalists who were/ have been subjected to repression and publish these testimonies in an open archive similar to WikiLeaks. It is also necessary to redefine art as a documentary tool by producing documentary projects (stories and novels, films, exhibitions) based on real testimonies and living stories as proof of survival and to preserve the anti-repression voice.
In conclusion, the struggle is not purely intended to achieve the freedom of art itself, but also the freedom of memory, identity and history, as art is capable of reshaping the scene and always resurrecting hope, just as it is able (with its flexibility and infinity of imagination) to confront and evade oppression in various manners. Artivism is more than just a means of creativity; it is a powerful and effective tool for struggle and resistance, and a weapon to counter the attempts of the authority to suppress the truth and monopolize the narrative despite major challenges, as proven by the experiences of different peoples throughout history.
