Arts and culture play a vital role in nonviolent social change movements by raising awareness, fostering solidarity, and inspiring action. They provide a powerful platform for marginalised voices, challenge dominant narratives, and offer a means of self-expression and healing for both artists and audiences. Arts and culture can connect movements with wider audiences, evoke emotions, and ultimately contribute to social transformation.
Read
Some books exploring the role of arts and culture in nonviolent social change movements. Download the list here: The role of arts and culture in nonviolent social change movements
In the Collection – pamphlets and periodicals
These are just a few of the many pamphlets and periodicals in the Commonweal Collection relating to this topic. Most pamphlets are available to borrow, the periodicals are reference only.
Criminal Element
Cartoons by Kate Evans illustrating protests at Greenham Common, the M11 road link, and parodying climbing the corporate career ladder. “Believe in change. Get a vibe going with others who believe the same. Realise that making it happen is worth more than any amount of revolutionary hypothesising.”
Classification: Cz EVA Anti-war Art, Photography and Graphic Novels. PAMPHLET check it’s available here.
Drawing Paradise on the ‘Axis of Evil’
A body of images by Emily Johns drawing on the complex relationships between Iran, oil and Britain. Drawing Paradise on the ‘Axis of Evil’ is “an attempt to use imaginative engagement to provole a more rounded debate, by transcending labels such as ‘the axis of evil’ and to ground public debate in human realities. The Iran that is so widely feared is also a land that has produced, and continues to produce, gardens of paradise and poetry.
Classification: Cz JOH Anti-war Art, Photography and Graphic Novels PAMPHLET check it’s available here.
It’s Up to Us
A reproduction of an illustrated booklet from the 1930s on war, Soviet Russia, the rise of fascism, economic crisis, rearmament and collective security. Published by the Alpha Group, Left Review, London.
Classification: Cz ALP Anti-war Art, Photography and Graphic Novels PAMPHLET check it’s available here.
Let’s Not Get Carried Away
Poems by Ciaron O’Reilly written when he was part of the Brisbane Catholic Worker community in the late 70s/early 80s. “There were four of us, Angela, Jim, Sean and myself. We were a student, a wage-slave, a seasonal labourer and an international traveller. We gave those occupations up, refused the dole, to pay our taxes or to vote and attempted to worship God and make our living through self-managed industry. In the vision of Peter Maurin we believed that all our needs, and society’s needs, could be met by nonviolent, self-managed work co-operatives. We held all our finances in common, built a fruit dryer, a soap factory a neighbourhood bakery, and urban farm and a worm farm.” These poems and images are from that time.
Classification: Ca ORE Poetry PAMPHLET check it’s available here.
On the Brink
Poems by Pat Arrowsmith with a foreword by Adrian Mitchell – “If only we had ten thousand people with the passion and energy of Pat Arrowsmith” – the British Isles would be swept clean of nuclear weapons and the troops would be back from Ireland overnight.”
Classification: Ca ARR Poetry PAMPHLET check it’s available here.
How to search the Collection
The online catalogue includes all the books, pamphlets and periodicals in the Collection.
Column 1: Select title, or classmark eg Cz Anti-war Art, Photography and Graphic Novels
Column 2: Enter search term
Column 3: Select “Commonweal Collection”
Contribute
To share a book that has inspired you email commonwealoutreach@peacemuseum.org.uk. Your suggestions will feature on our website and social media, and also help us to identify gaps in the Collection.