Advocacy
Petter Wallenberg has created his own niche where music and arts are used as a tool for advocacy around social issues and human rights. He has created international creative projects and campaigns for UN’s Global Goals, StopHIV and LGBTQ rights and is the founding director of non-profit organisation Rainbow Riots, registered in Sweden and Uganda.
2017
UN’s Global Goals
As part of an official campaign for the United Nations’ Global Goals For Sustainable Development, Petter Wallenberg created the musical piece “Equal Rights” featuring Jamaican rapper and gay rights activist Mista Majah P. ”Equal Rights” was released globally as a single and music video and performed on the main stage at the opening of Stockholm Pride 2017. The message is clear – equal rights for LGBTQ people now! “I’m grateful for this… It makes you so damn happy” - Tina Mehrafzoon, Musikguiden i P3 Radio, Sweden |
2015 - Ongoing
Rainbow Riots
In 2015 Petter Wallenberg had the idea to compose and produce an album featuring queer voices from some of the world’s most dangerous countries for LGBTQ people - places such as Uganda, Jamaica, South Africa and Malawi. The idea was simple: queer culture has always used creativity to fight discrimination so Petter wanted to create a collaborative music project that would give voice to people whose voices have been taken away. The result was the acclaimed album Rainbow Riots, released in 2017. Since its release Rainbow Riots has received considerable media traction around the world, including in countries without LGBTQ rights. It is now registered as a non-profit organisation in both Sweden and Uganda, and continues using creative methods to advocate for equal rights for LGBTQ people in Uganda and worldwide. “Uplifting, defiant, uptempo… The ultimate protest…this is advocacy” - BBC Cultural Frontline |
2013
Love Yourself Test Yourself
HIV awareness is dropping, especially among young people who didn’t grow up with the 80’s AIDS crisis. The Swedish health department and ad agency Lowe Brindfors set out to combat this, and approached Petter Wallenberg to create a groundbreaking new StopHIV-campaign. The result was Love Yourself Test Yourself, a musical campaign about how getting tested is a sex positive act of respecting yourself and others. The song and video were released to radio, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and many other digital platforms via Universal Music. The project got massive traction in Swedish media and was even championed by US superblogger Perez Hilton. And most importantly - HIV-testing increased significantly. As a result Love Yourself Test Yourself won silver at the prestigious 2014 Clio Health Awards. “Listen to this! Thank you Sweden!” - Perez Hilton |