Mission & Purpose
Intro
Freedom Studio is a pro-democracy, movement building initiative that strategically and creatively supports civic mobilization. We invest in building leadership and capacities of marginalized citizens especially younger ones, in expanding full potential of the social activism/movement they are leading. We mainly train them on leadership approaches, strategic development, nonviolent resistance, artivism, and digital media campaign. We believe such efforts will lift their power status in the society and challenges unjust social norms and practices.
Our Work
Freedom Studio was formed with the ideology that the emancipation of marginalized and exploited people and communities is possible through nonviolent creative mobilization. However, marginalized and exploited communities often lack the knowledge, skills, resources, and discipline to build and maintain power for collective sustainable action. We strongly believe that 'conflicts are resolved through dialogue', but at the same time we have found that 'parties with power imbalance' will not bring the desired result for less power holders in the communities. Instead, such a scenario expands marginalization and harms the internal determination and well-being of leaders and people from marginalized and exploited communities.
In this backdrop, Freedom Studio functions as an initiative that strategically and creatively supports civic expression and peaceful mobilization. We invest in building leadership and capacities of marginalized citizens especially younger ones, in expanding full potential of the social activism/movement they are leading. We mainly train them on leadership approaches, strategic development, nonviolent resistance, artivism, and digital media campaign. We believe such efforts will lift their power status in the society and challenges unjust social norms and practices.
Freedom Studio's work can be categorized into four broad scopes:
1. FS works to identify conflicts, injustices, movements, and people mobilization.
2. FS works to understand the suffering, challenges, and needs of communities faced by injustice and discrimination and builds common goal or vision of movements.
3. FS works to develop knowledge, skills, techniques, and resources of communities & their leaders and builds strength of movements.
4. FS expands the use of art and new media in creating global solidarity of social movements.
In this backdrop, Freedom Studio functions as an initiative that strategically and creatively supports civic expression and peaceful mobilization. We invest in building leadership and capacities of marginalized citizens especially younger ones, in expanding full potential of the social activism/movement they are leading. We mainly train them on leadership approaches, strategic development, nonviolent resistance, artivism, and digital media campaign. We believe such efforts will lift their power status in the society and challenges unjust social norms and practices.
Freedom Studio's work can be categorized into four broad scopes:
1. FS works to identify conflicts, injustices, movements, and people mobilization.
2. FS works to understand the suffering, challenges, and needs of communities faced by injustice and discrimination and builds common goal or vision of movements.
3. FS works to develop knowledge, skills, techniques, and resources of communities & their leaders and builds strength of movements.
4. FS expands the use of art and new media in creating global solidarity of social movements.
Our Story
FREEDOM STUDIO was founded in 2020 amid the COVID-19 lockdown when there was a significant need for strategic and creative tools to counter restrictions and laws that limited individual and communal freedom. When the government of Nepal took advantage of this public health crisis curtailing freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, the idea of sensitizing the community through the integration of art and activism emerged. Our co-founders, Shila and Nishchhal were established artist and activist at that time and therefore took the opportunity to expand their skills and expertise by forming this creative initiative.
Until mid - 2022, Freedom Studio was functioning as a campaign, an unregistered group, expanding opportunities for networking and collaboration with diverse organizations in Nepal and around the globe. After two years of creating and running projects through collaborations, we realized the importance of legal presence for expanding this movement. Freedom Studio International (FNI) was registered as a private company in April 2022 and Freedom Studio Nepal (FSN) was registered as a non-profit company in September 2022. Still, it has inspired several grassroots, national and international organizations, and movements to integrate art, media, and technology for nonviolent activism since its conception.
Freedom Studio (FS) is a youth led creative initiative that works to expand freedom and justice by integrating art, media, and technology. We research, document, educate, artvocate, campaign, and collaborate to amplify new social movements around the globe. We create digital discourse to expand civic space and make communities more inclusive, resilient, democratic, and peaceful.
Until mid - 2022, Freedom Studio was functioning as a campaign, an unregistered group, expanding opportunities for networking and collaboration with diverse organizations in Nepal and around the globe. After two years of creating and running projects through collaborations, we realized the importance of legal presence for expanding this movement. Freedom Studio International (FNI) was registered as a private company in April 2022 and Freedom Studio Nepal (FSN) was registered as a non-profit company in September 2022. Still, it has inspired several grassroots, national and international organizations, and movements to integrate art, media, and technology for nonviolent activism since its conception.
Freedom Studio (FS) is a youth led creative initiative that works to expand freedom and justice by integrating art, media, and technology. We research, document, educate, artvocate, campaign, and collaborate to amplify new social movements around the globe. We create digital discourse to expand civic space and make communities more inclusive, resilient, democratic, and peaceful.