Abstract
<JATS1:p>Grassroots Artmakingis a pioneering, open-access historical survey that compiles diverse studies, artist interviews, case studies, and roundtable discussions to explore how UK-based art activism has moulded contemporary art over six decades.Addressing political turmoil in the UK since the 1960s, marked by racist immigration laws, far-right ascent, nuclear proliferation, gender oppression and Thatcher's governance, this timely book traces the evolution of grassroots artistic self-organization as a means of resistance. From artist-led initiatives like the Caribbean Artists Movement and the Blk Arts Group, to AIDS activist visual production and community photography initiatives, it showcases a vital strand of British art history beyond mainstream institutions and geographic centres.</JATS1:p> <JATS1:p>Contextualizing the importance of this work in relation to recent seismic events such as austerity, Brexit, Covid, Grenfell, and BLM, the book brings contemporary and historical realities into dialogue with a uniquely cross-media perspective, covering photography and film-making, as well as multiple forms of organizing and artistic practice; from curating, archiving, and administration, to studio management, poster production and institution building.</JATS1:p> <JATS1:p>Richly illustrated with archival material from a wide range of sources,Grassroots Artmakingprovides a lively, visually enticing account of the formative connections between grassroots activism and art practice. It lays the groundwork for a new approach to teaching modern and contemporary British art histories and will serve as an indispensable tool for researchers and artists alike.</JATS1:p> <JATS1:p>The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by UKRI.</JATS1:p>