#EverydayPolitics: launching a community exhibition

Dan and Pete unveil the Everyday Politics exhibition at the People's History Museum, Manchester

“There are some obvious things that people can do to participate in politics - voting, standing for election, joining a political party, or responding to consultation. But what about the less formal ways that people participate?”

On Tuesday 11 December, community researchers showcased the findings of their investigation of politics beyond the ballot box. The System Doesn’t Work, one of ten projects co-designed by Jam & Justice’s Action Research Collective, brought together people with experience of actively making change happen in their community. Together they examined the notion of “everyday makers” and used it to think through and discuss how their own day-to-day activities represented a kind of “everyday politics”.

The result? Everyday Politics, a touring exhibition, complemented by a booklet and postcard series--featuring images captured on camera by the community researchers, with captions explaining the significance of each photo.

The exhibition is intended to provoke conversations, especially around the core questions:

  • In what ways can everyday politics make a difference in our communities?

  • How can everyday politics be better supported in your community?

As contributor Pete Simm (pictured above unveiling the exhibition along with Jam & Justice’s Dan Silver) said:

“…it's about doing. It's about being willing to get your hands dirty, it's about being willing to be the one who sees things differently. Everyday makers are artists, they're the ones who see the everyday and can help to transform it into something which is amazing”

The findings are grouped together under five themes: valuing, connecting, questioning, reasoning and developing.

How can you get involved in #EverydayPolitics?