Feminist Activism amongst Youth in Brazil

How can young people use creativity to end gender-based violence? 

This powerful international project brings together youth from Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and the North East of England to find out.

Led by King’s College London with WOW, Redes da Maré, Queen Mary University of London and People’s Palace Projects, this bold collaboration puts young women and non-binary people aged 16 to 24-years old at the centre of feminist activism – using art to confront gender-based violence and reimagine a safer, more equal world.

In Maré, Rio, young people are working with local artists to explore how gender-based violence intersects with climate change, racial justice and reproductive rights. Their creative responses – from multimedia installations to educational toolkits – will be shared in schools and communities across Latin America.

Meanwhile in the North East of England, young people are exploring histories of resistance in their own communities, including the region’s mining heritage, to inspire new banner-making and curatorial skills. Through workshops led by local artists, they’re learning how creativity, solidarity and protest go hand in hand.

The two groups are connected across borders through virtual learning sessions, sharing ideas, stories and strategies for change. Together, they co-curated showcases at WOW Rio and WOW North East, with selected participants travelling to Rio and Durham to take part in each other's activities.

This is youth-led, transnational activism in action, rooted in local experience, but united by a shared vision for a future free from violence.