Art Vs Ads: Billboard and Subvertising Workshop

Join us for a hands-on, discussion-led event that invites you to creatively explore how advertising shapes our visual environments and influences everyday consumption.

Led by artists and researchers Angela Chick, Prof Cressida Bowyer, and Dr Kate Whitman, this session blends collage art and zine-making as creative methods for critical reflection and expression. No artistic experience is necessary — just curiosity and a willingness to experiment.

You’ll begin with a short talk by Dr Kate Whitman on Advertising and Sustainable Consumption, then dive into creative responses through group and individual art-making. Whether you contribute to a large-scale collaborative piece or craft your own zine or poster, your vision will be part of a thought-provoking activity that brings art, ethics, and environmental awareness into creative dialogue.

Participants will also have the opportunity (if they wish) to showcase their work in a public exhibition the following day.

This is a welcoming space for University of Portsmouth staff and students, local artists, activists, and anyone interested in sustainability, visual culture, or creative expression. Come along to connect, create, and challenge the visual status quo.

Please book your place.

Contact kate.whitman@port.ac.uk for further information.

Header photo: Fiat Ad, London, 1979. Artist unknown. Photographed by Jill Posener.

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This event is part of the Revolution Plastics Institute’s Screens, Spaces, and Sustainability: Is Advertising Compatible with the Circular Economy?, a wider programme of free exhibitions and workshops running at the University of Portsmouth Business School from 3–20 November.

You may also be interested in this event: How advertising influences waste and what we can do about it on 20 November.