Academic research is not as accessible to the public because of many reasons. Some of these reasons are - but not limited to - in terms of the use of certain academic jargon, access to academic journals, access to university libraries, especially if the research is printed in English only. My grandma does not know how to read or write as well as most of the artists I am researching. I believe that a part of resisting academia, and its capitalist approach in turning education into a profit, is to make the research material and results accessible to the public in various ways. These ways must keep in mind that information can be digested in so many other ways than texts, which is my assigned task here. I want to create an accessible version of my research that can be accessed by my people. There are a stigma and a class struggle about the artists of mahragant in Egypt since they come mostly from a working-class. The aim of this illustration is to show these artists as the complex human being they are and show how important their art is to them, and how the stigma about them in the middle and upper class is hurting them through the state regulations. The solutions must provide a broader perspective of the art in different forms besides text.

 

There are a few ways this research can be transformed into an accessible form to be digested by the people of the art and others as well who are interested.

 

1. Create a video: where somehow it captures the thesis and provide some sort of tools to the artists. Some sort of documentary. This can be a youtube video, a series of videos on Instagram, a tv show, a sitcom, a documentary, a talk show episode, an artistic video, a song as a video clip, a short film, a feature, etc. There are many ways to create a video-graphic material out of the research, where it is easily consumed by the people.

 

1. Create a slideshow with a voice over while keeping the speed of the internet and its access in Egypt in mind. Since this project will be entirely taking place in Egypt, this is maybe an easier format for creating a project and a cheaper, more realistic one. People do not need high-speed internet to load a voice over a slideshow as much as they would need for the video. The same effort in writing a script will be needed, but the creation will be easier. The pictures can be taken will the interviews are taking place, and then based on the results and flow of events, the slideshow can be created. This can be easily accessed online.

 

1. Do an interactive workshop of some sort where the artists and the public can access my research, and I would be able to answer questions or explain the material. This can take place in community centers, studios, colleges, schools, or basically any place where I can have access to speak and show some printed photos and articles.

 

Bug list: there will be many limitations to my designs, and since I do not have an app, and I do not have a bug list, I will make my bug list as my limitation list for each idea.

 

1. The limitation for the first idea is having a budget and the time to produce such a product. Although I believe that one of the best ways to pass any kind of information to the public in Egypt can be done through a tv series in Ramadan (a month where there is usually a marathon of tv series and shows,) this idea comes with great challenges. Challenges of writing a script that can sum up the research and it is concepts and results. Having a budget, a cast, a director, and all that is needed to produce such a show. That also means having the time to invest and to advocate for the project, which sounds impossible. A youtube series, on the other hand, sounds feasible but it is less appealing to the public and less entertaining. It most likely won’t attract the audience as much as a tv series, but it is an attempt. If this can be done a song or a series of songs, that would be the ultimate win. The artists challenging society through what is considered their weakness or “trash art.”

 

1. Creating a slideshow with a voiceover will also require a script, but not as much money or crew. A simple phone camera and a recorder can do the trick and the skill will have to be shown in the writing, but, the appeal to the audience decreases dramatically, and I am judging this from my personal experience and having lived in Egypt for over 20 years. Tv shows get the most hits. Instagram videos or slide photos with voice get scrolled away. Although this will be a good source for a teacher or a college professor, I doubt that the public would voluntarily adopt it if it was not marketed well.

 

1. Doing an interactive workshop would fall in the middle in terms of effort and cost between both the previous solutions. It will require traveling costs, material to create the workshop and how interactive it can be, and the ability to connect with community organizers and college students to utilize the material. This can be adapted in the concerts if it is marketed well to the artist and it can also be done in many other different spaces. Still, the appeal to the public will be a challenge and it may have to entail some sort of entertainment element to it, where people enjoy the learning journey. I am not sure how that can be possible or how much research any of the previous ideas require, but I can imagine the ideas.