Do-it-yourself lifestyle movements in grassroots activist communities: A case study of Brisbane, Australia

Abstract

In this article, we draw on the concepts of lifestyle movements and Do-It-Yourself culture to explore activist identity and practice among grassroots activist groups in Brisbane, Australia. Although Do-It-Yourself ethos is often conceptualised in terms of countercultural ideology linking music, politics and aesthetics, we examine it here as a core characteristic of creative resistance and grassroots organising. We present the case study of an activist blockade camp emerging during the COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane in 2020 to explore activist lifestyles in the Australian context and reflect on the possibilities of radicalisation and collective affinities through Do-It-Yourself politics and practices. The impact of COVID-19 during early 2020 and the socio-economic disruptions that followed provide an interesting backdrop against which to study the development of Do-It-Yourself activist lifestyles within social movements. Our findings illustrate the potential of activist lifestyle movements within and beyond localised campaigns, while reinforcing the relevance of using Do-It-Yourself frameworks to theorise activist culture.