about the project
During my time in the more More Art program, I have created a project known as “You Do You” based on my personal experiences with bullies in school, and how students deal with such activities. I want to create a school environment where students think twice before judging others, and put an end to bullying in my school.
The phrase “You Do You” is not reaching out to the victims of bullying, but to the bullies themselves. My project addresses bullies, and the students who have been beaten down physically and emotionally by bullies. It addresses the issue teens all over the world face on a daily basis, bullying & harassment. It reaches out to victims, and It confronts the actual bullies. I want to figure out why they are mean to their peers, and help them realize what they are doing is wrong and hurtful.
As an extension of my visual piece, I would like to have several of my peers wear ridiculous outfits, crazy hair, make them look very out of the ordinary and “strange”, not say anything and see how other people react to them. Generally my peers would respond negatively to people perceived as ‘different’. When the intervention happens, I would like my actors to hand these students a poster, card, or have them walk away with a saying on their back that says something along the lines of “Think before you judge. You do You.” Hopefully, causing them to rethink their opinions. Bullying is a very personal topic to me, and It is very important that it be addressed in a way that makes a difference, and moves us one step closer to ending bullying.