AS PART OF THIS YEARS MEMEFEST AWARD, TWENTY CHOSEN AUTHORS OF BEST MEMEFEST FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIAL MEMEFEST-SOCIALLY RESPONSIVE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP IN NIJMEGEN, NETHERLANDS IN JUNE 2011, IN COLLABORATION WITH ODDSTREAM FESTIVAL.

The aim of this unique worksop experience will be to produce visual maps which will show the differences (and reasons for them) between Socially Responsive Communication and social marketing´. Workshop will be mentored by Memefest curators- some of the best socially engaged communicators/designers in the world.

More about the context of the workshop:

This might come as a surprise, but most of so called ‘socially engaged´ communication is either not effective or even counterproductive. Why? The main reason is that such communication is conceived in the same way as marketing communication for a product or service. The difference is content, but the perspective from which such communication starts and the dynamics it produces in the public sphere are pretty much the same.

When it comes to visual communication, the ideological trap lies in the nature of the image as a cognitive product of our spectacle based culture. Communication is perceived on the level of the image surface. Extracted formal surface.

Social problems are treated as products and communications solution to this problems are treated as products as well. Most of this communication would officially fall under the umbrella term of social marketing. This means a specific perspective through the lens of the market is employed for solving social issues. But can we use the exclusive perspective of the market to solve social problems with communication?

More information regarding socially responsive communication: www.memefest.org