Harry Potter series ‘inspiring fans to create their own art’

WASHINGTON - The Harry Potter series may be coming to an end, but it has inspired many of its fans to create their own art.

Karin Westman, associate professor and expert on the Harry Potter series, has been studying the role of art in the books and how they have energized people to create art themselves.

Westman found the movie and book has inspired art which includes music, fan fiction, textile creation, artistic designs and costumed play.

An example of such inspiration is a musical performed by a group of 40 actors, titled ‘The Final Battle’. It was written by Lena Gabrielle and Mallory Vance, and it depicts the last battle at Hogwarts Castle in the seventh book.

Another is Wizard rock, a musical genre created by Harry Potter fans that involves music and songs about different characters or events.

Currently there are more than 500 Wizard rock bands with names such as Harry and the Potters, The Whomping Willows and The Remus Lupins.

Westman says many of these fans have taken a social justice response to Harry Potter, like the Harry Potter Alliance, which is a charity organization based on the principles of social justice and anti-prejudice that J.K. Rowling included in the books.

The group’s current project is a Deathly Hallows campaign, which is dedicated to destroying seven real-world “Horcruxes”, such as starvation wages.

“What is interesting about these groups is that they value fan energy and interest in the series, and find ways to channel Rowling’s themes into activities and possibilities for the community,” Westman stated. (ANI)