Activism
In conversation: the activists resisting mass deportation
Elin Ersson v The Stansted 15 — Stansted 15 member Ben Smoke meets Elin Ersson, the Swedish student who went viral for grounding a deportation flight: ‘I’m doing what I can to protect humans instead of staying silent and letting them die.’
Written by: Ben Smoke
Why the world still needs the Women’s March
Strength in numbers — This weekend, hundred of protestors took to the streets of London to march against violence and austerity.
Written by: Lydia Morrish
Gay’s The Word: inside England’s only LGBTQ bookshop
Four decades on — This week marks the 40th anniversary of Gay’s The Word, a UK institution that fought police raids, prejudice and censorship to become a hub of social activism. We talk to manager Jim MacSweeney about the fights the venue has faced over the years.
Written by: Patrick O’Connell
Powerful portraits of black resistance
Joy, defiance & protest — From the Million Man March to #FeesMustFall, photographer Adreinne Waheed has dedicated her life to celebrating the ‘beauty and resilience’ of African American culture.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Capitalism is co-opting, & ruining, the feminist movement
We deserve better — This week, Gillette shared a mawkish film paying lip service to the #MeToo movement. But, like many clumsy multinationals before them, they got it all wrong.
Written by: Dawn Foster
Collage: from DIY cut-and-paste to radical art form
Tear it up — From Barbara Kruger and Wangechi Mutu to Lorna Simpson: women have been pioneering the DIY art form for the last century. We speak to three artists on what cutting up and piecing together mixed media can tell us about gender, activism and the modern age.
Written by: Cristiana Bedei
Inside the fight to save creative freedom
The censorship struggle — Even today, constrictive censorship laws – in Europe and beyond – are stifling creativity and artistic expression. So who will stand up for artists when they’re silenced?
Written by: Chris Hayes
Boots Riley is Hollywood’s new disruptor in chief
Truth to power — With his debut feature Sorry To Bother You, the rapper turned filmmaker is responsible for 2018’s most brazenly original slice of cinema: a seething take on class, race and identity in Corporate America. The good news is that he’s only just getting started.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Being a photographer in an age of unrest
The bigger picture — From the US to Latin America, Natalie Keyssar’s photography uncovers the impact of social and political structures on everyday lives – capturing the violence of inequality and the messiness of uncertainty.
Written by: Natalie Keyssar
A visual history of activism in the North
Power in protest — In his stark black and white images, photographer Martin Jenkinson captures the spirit, desperation and empowerment of protest.
Written by: Hannah Clugston