Quitting Twitter

Art is an intangible and often polarising word, but one thing is certain; art can make powerful statements. Images can sum up what is hard to say and transcend languages. There is power in images and the messages you convey, they should be used respectfully.

This month, as a reaction to racist fueled riots in Bristol, we posted in support of our refugee and global minority friends and partners. We hated feeling so powerless against the haters but wanted to show allyship in whatever way we could.

Following the rise in racism and hate speech on social media which did so much to fuel the riots, Jenny Foster (founder of Global Goals Centre, and co-director of Sparks Bristol) was alerted to a movement to leave Twitter/X headed by the Racial Justice Collective. They encouraged people to join them in leaving Twitter with the message “That a global social media brand can allow and perpetuate consistently harmful, irresponsible and racist content is a business practice that must end. I reject the idea that brands can’t address the behaviours and practices that lead to the circulation of harmful and potentially deadly content. On 16th August at 6pm I will delete myX profile #ExitRacismOnX #JoinMe”

This prompted us to look into the state of Twitter and CEO Elon Musk’s handling of hate speech on the forum and his own abhorrent posts. Artspace Lifespace Company Manager Kathryn Chiswell-Jones shared this excellent piece from Oregon based MMG, a trust fund set up to accelerate racial, social and economic justice which includes the below statistics:

Research into the platform’s performance since Musk took over is sobering:

• Anti-Black tweets and retweets tripled from the 2022 average.
• Anti-LGBTQ2SIA+ rhetoric rose 53% from the 2022 average.
• Hate speech engagement went from 84 times per hour to 398 times per hour immediately following the acquisition.

A lack of responsible content moderation and account oversight has also fueled documented increases in COVID-19 misinformation, climate denial posts and given new life to election conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy.

In 2021, arts organisations across the UK voiced growing concerns over the escalating ‘war on woke’ rhetoric and its potential threat to the longstanding “arm’s length” principle that protects the arts and heritage sectors from political interference. In response to this divisive narrative, Bristol’s DIY Arts Network established a working group to document the unfolding ‘culture war’ and spearheaded the #67MillionVoices campaign. This initiative, driven by volunteers from key arts organisations in Bristol, aimed to promote unity and challenge the forces of division.

Jenny asked the joint Global Goals Centre and Artspace board and team members of Sparks Bristol: “Can I ask for your thoughts on whether we should do this (leave Twitter) to demonstrate allyship, and in line with our charity’s principles and Sparks manifesto?” Following these discussions, Artspace Lifespace and the Sparks Bristol Twitter accounts will cease to post content or engage with any content posted going forward, but our accounts will remain live so we can passively monitor conversations without engaging in them. We will continue to assess the value of staying on Twitter for security monitoring purposes or in the event the platform should regain a level of equanimity, whether to re-engage with our account in the future.

While platforms like Twitter and Meta (Facebook, Instagram and Threads) have increasingly become toxic arenas, exacerbating polarisation and hostility, we remain steadfast in our belief that humanity has the potential for a new social and environmental renaissance. This conviction was one of the key motivations behind the creation of Sparks Bristol. Our partnership with the Global Goals Centre at Sparks has been a powerful reminder that despite the efforts to divide us, we, the people, share more common ground than differences.

We encourage you to continue examining what you see and read on the internet. Ask yourself how it’s made you feel and question the agenda of people creating hateful content, what do they gain from polarising and dividing peaceful people?

If you want to read further on how to manage hate and support people experiencing racism the website Hope Not Hate (UK) focuses on understanding hate, tackling extremism and provides resources for support and education. The Irish Network Against Racism have produced a guide on how to be an active ally should you witness a racist incident. Locality has also put together practical tips, tools and guidance for community organisations to support their staff and others, protect their buildings, talk about what’s going on, and tackle misinformation.