What We Do
Fan activism is an organizing strategy that draws parallels between beloved pop culture and real world issues of inequity to mobilize fans for social good. Fandom Forward has been a leader of the field for over 15 years, and our proven track record demonstrates the efficacy of this power-building methodology. We approach our work in three ways: providing accessible training, engaging fans in campaign experience, and building community.
Training
We believe accessible, engaging training is a key factor in mobilizing new activists. We do this through live events, free toolkits, and much more.
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Campaigns
Through real campaigns with real impact, fans put their training into practice and build confidence.
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Community
Community is fandom’s superpower. We invest in community building and support throughout the fandom landscape.
Research
Jenkins, Henry. 2011. “'Cultural Acupuncture’: Fan Activism and the Harry Potter Alliance.” Transformative Works and Cultures 10.
Jenkins shows how the HPA uses the fandom to engage young people in political participation.
Kligler-Vilenchik, Neta, Joshua McVeigh-Schultz, Christine Weitbrecht, and Chris Tokuhama.
2012. “Experiencing Fan Activism: Understanding the Power of Fan Activist Organizations through Members’ Narratives.” Transformative Works and Cultures 10.
In this article, the authors focus on how community in fandom that value helping others are keys to success in fan activism formation.
Martin, Courtney E. 2012. “From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change.” The New York Times, March 21.
Martin highlights how is that having a loyal and engaged fan base is a fantastic starting point for activist mobilization. However, she points out how important understanding the fandom and using it to attach issues in a way that is meaningful to fans is essential for success.
Puglin, Jamie. 2020. "Collective Identity, Organizational Structure, and Framing in Fan Activism"
This dissertation reviews how the internet provides multi-faceted methods of recruiting young people to activism. By focusing on those who are members of a fandom, organizations are able to build on a preexisting collective identity to recruit people into the movement. Because fandoms are often spread out geographically, the internet offers a perfect tool to bring them together, both as fans and as activists.