Artists for Change - Let's End Poverty

Artists for Change is a growing strand within Let’s End Poverty for musicians, artists, poets and people throughout the creative arts willing to speak truth to power, challenge the status quo and campaign to end poverty once and for all.

Messages of hope for our future often ring true through music, art, poetry and theatre – and hope is needed in our communities, our towns and cities and across the country.

Artists for Change reflects the ongoing feeling across the country that what the government and opposition propose to tackle poverty simply is not good enough. If we want to see poverty in the UK ended, we need to see real, decisive action and community led change, listening to those in communities to hear what we have to say.

Artists for Change is a community of artists aware of our opportunity onstage, online and in written word to be part of a movement that challenges the status quo and believes that poverty in the UK can end.

See some of the Artists for Change projects…

Over the last year we have funded lots of creative projects aimed at sparking conversations about ending poverty. Take a look at pictures from these projects below.

Read about Local Pantries across the UK who got involved with Artists for Change through funding from The Co-op and Church Action on Poverty.

Click here to read about Artists for Change in Local Pantries

On 28th April, Band on the Wall in Manchester hosted the launch of Artists for Change, with an awareness raising gig featuring local bands and artists.

Click here to read about the event.

Artists for Change funded events

Let’s End Poverty gave out small grants in 2024 to support local artists and groups to host Artists for Change events. Funding from Greenbelt Festival helped these grants to happen. Read about some of the events we funded here.

ATD Fourth World event collaborating with Dreams & Realities

ATD Fourth World collaborated with Camden Methodist Church to host a joint event, as the Dreams & Realities Tour stopped in London. The event, held in Keir Starmer’s constituency during the general election campaign, brought together voices from across the community expressing the call for poverty to be a top priority during the General Election.

Throughout the event, the experiences, expertise and creativity of people struggling against poverty were amplified through performances and speeches. Poetry covered themes of isolation, activism, caring, parenthood, challenge and hope for the future. Speakers showed the commitment of activists to share their own experience as part of the journey to end poverty in the UK, and to use their lived expertise to inspire others.

Displayed alongside the performances was a photography exhibition brought together by ATD participants, highlighting their experiences of poverty. Artists involved in producing the exhibition shared the challenges of engaging in creativity whilst struggling against poverty and hardship, but also the satisfaction experienced in the process. Part of the exhibition honoured activists who have passed away since their participation in campaigns, and carries their legacy into the future.

Cost of Living Exhibition and Show in Sheffield

In Sheffield, Faye, an actor, theatre director and producer, put on an exhibition exploring the cost of living. She worked alongside local artists, all of whom were directly affected by poverty, using the exhibition as an opportunity to amplify their voices, as well as instilling confidence and self belief. In her application, Faye said: “Imposter syndrome is rife in the art world, and I want to give my artists the message that they are valuable and worthy of a seat at the table, as well as an opportunity to show / sell their work.”

The grant was used to pay local artists for their time and resources, to ensure that the exhibition was accessible for people from any background to engage, and to recognise their time and talent. The organisers said: “All our objectives for the project were met, the money went straight back into the community’s pocket and we platformed self-taught artists from marginalised identities. Some of the work sold, so that was also money back in the pockets of our artists. Best of all it was great to see people connecting with and inspiring and uplifting each other.”

Period Power talk and bracelet making workshop

Corinne, an artist and activist who is bed bound because of her disabilities, ran two online workshops exploring themes around period poverty. For each workshop participants were sent a bracelet making kit, with each bead representing a different issue or challenge around period poverty. In the workshop, participants made their bracelets together whilst listening and sharing stories. Some feedback from participants at the workshops said:

“It’s been so powerful for me today. I think things are getting better for me through coming to this.”
“Really wonderful to be able to talk about hard stuff safely. Thank you.”
“I am very moved and educated by what I have heard in the workshop.”
“I really enjoyed this, the symbolism in the arrangement of the beautiful beads will stay with me as I wear it and see it.”

You can see Corinne’s art here: https://outsidein.org.uk/galleries/corinne/.

Menopause Power, Menstruation and Disability Pride online workshop

Artists Andrea and Corinne collaborated for this special online workshop on International Women’s Day, funded by an Artists for Change grant. For both artists, their disabilities make leaving their homes and beds challenging, and their art stems from these experiences.

Corinne discussed photographic self-portraits they had created, exploring their experiences of period poverty. Andrea discussed her work in relation to her experience of the menopause, saying “One aspect of medicalisation of the menopause is that it generates waste. Growing up in Africa I was made hyper-aware of limited resources and that everything including what we in the West call waste has a value, so I find throwing things away hard to do.”

Pain in my Vein body paint workshop, Leeds

Artists Adelle A’asante received an artists for change grant to produce Pain in my Vein – A community dialogue through Art that aimed to foster dialogue around poverty, remittances and the lived experiences of individuals in the diaspora. The project stemmed from the significant financial contributions of Africans in the diaspora to their home countries: in 2023, remittance inflows to Africa totaled an estimated 90.2 billion USD, accounting for 5.2% of Africa’s total GDP. This significant flow of funds underscores the economic pressures faced by individuals supporting families and projects back home, often leading to personal financial strain and emotional stress. Pain in my Vein sought to explore these dynamics through community dialogue and artistic expression.

Using art and creative expression, a workshop engaged participants in meaningful reflections on financial pressures, personal responsibility and the embodied impacts of economic hardship. 25 people took part, predominantly from the global majority, including families. In the workshop, participants identified parts of their bodies that represented ‘the pain in their vein’, and worked together to create a collaborative art piece using body painting.

Adelle then drew upon the discussions at the workshops to create a spoken word piece, combining powerful words and the visuals of body art created by artists Patrick William Dodoo. You can watch the final piece here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wixfJR56vjJg_lzGXlVx4Puz1bXShQsP/view?usp=sharing.

Rags to Riches fashion recycling project, Calderdale

“Rags to Riches” is an upcycled fashion exhibition aimed at sparking conversation about poverty and sustainability in the UK. The project aims to create and display high-fashion pieces made from discarded materials, symbolizing the transformation from poverty to prosperity. Alongside the exhibition, poets, writes and musicians have been invited to perform to spark discussions about poverty. The exhibition and event are still in the works.

Ceramics Workshop, Wolverhampton

In Wolverhampton, the Methodist Circuit applied for an Artists for Change grant to support a ceramic project bringing together local community groups and working towards the launch of a local Poverty Truth Commission. Wolverhampton has 51% of children living in poverty, with one of the highest rates of looked after children in the country. The project aimed to invite local people to be involved in creating a piece of ceramic art, with each individual piece having a fingerprint heart impressed into it, connected together to make a hanging chime.

The event, due to take place in the second part of 2025, will see a giant hanging ceramic chime in place in the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton, capturing stories of poverty from the local community. City of Sanctuary, Black Country Industrial Urban Mission and local homelessness charities are all involved.

Artists for Change Art Exhibition, Christchurch Foodbank

In April, Christchurch Foodbank in Dorset ran a free art exhibition, showcasing art by local artists and schools exploring the theme Let’s End Poverty. The exhibition, on show for a week, amplified creative responses to themes of poverty and inequality, and provided an open space for discussions about how communities can tackle poverty together.

The Perils of Universal Credit – Theatre Production

Sharron runs Elicit Theatre Company. She has written, performed and directed her plan “The Perils of Universal Credit”, which explores the true challenges and pitfalls of Universal Credit. The play is based around Sharon’s own experiences, and aims to raise awareness, educate, create debate and open questions. The Artists for Change grant supported Sharon to fund one stop of her tour of the play in London, which will take place in Autumn 2025.

You can see the details about the play here: https://elicittheatre.co.uk/perilsofuc/.