An Academic Take on Street Art.
Mural Created by Stink Fish in Malmö, Sweden.
Welcome to Frontline Street Art!
My Name is Philippa Scholz and this is the space I originally made to share the creative process of writing my BSc thesis in Development Studies at Lund University, Sweden. Now, reflective of a new chapter in my academic career, Frontline Street Art 2.0 is underway with more blog posts and exclusive podcast interviews in the making.
The topic of my research was the use of street art within the Colombian protests that began at the end of April in 2021 and how it potentially contributed to democracy building. This is a topic that I found particularly interesting as I was living with my partner’s family in Cali as 'El Paro Nacional’ (The National Strike) began. As it unfolded, I saw first-hand the power and scale of street art being used as a tool for protest and discussion. By interviewing street artists in the cities of Cali and Bogotá, I was able to build on existing research on how street art potentially contributes to deliberative democracy and suggest further areas of research.
Throughout my research, I shared insights, resources and updates related to thesis writing, development studies and street art on the Frontline Street Art Blog and on a dedicated Instagram Page.
I also began producing episodes for the Frontline Street Art Podcast series. Through exclusive interviews with artists, academics and general street art enthusiasts, I hoped to create and join communities that believe in the power of street art as a tool for good as I do. Sadly, due to financial constraints, it was not finished in the wished time frame.
Luckily, circumstances have changed. I am currently undertaking a MSc in Development Studies and Management at Lund University for two years and wish to continue researching the power of street art in the context of social movements and expand my discussions to other art forms on this website.
The blog will make a come-back and the podcast series is back in production! I am so pleased that this is a brand new re-iteration of Frontline Street Art, version 2.0!
You can flick through and read my thesis in the following PDF or on the Lund University Student Publications page:
Myself in front of posters created for an event I co-hosted in Lund, Sweden, on the Colombian protests of 2021.