Zita Holbourne
Born1960s
NationalityBritish
EducationLondon College of Printing; Watford School of Art
Occupation(s)Writer, performance poet, visual artist
Known forCommunity and human rights campaigner and activist
Websitewww.zitaholbourne.com

Zita Holbourne FRSA (born 1960s)[1] is a British community and human rights campaigner and activist, and a multi-disciplinary artist, creating work as a writer, performance poet and visual artist.[2] As a trade unionist, she is National Vice President of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the UK, and chairs its national equality committee and women's committee, and as joint national Chair of Artists Union England she also leads on equality. She sits on the European Public Services Union National and European Administration Committee.[3] She co-founded with Lee Jasper the organisation BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts),[1] which campaigns against the impact of austerity on black communities.[4]

Background

Holbourne studied art and graphic design at the London College of Printing and Watford School of Art. She produces artwork that ranges from oil paintings on canvas to digital works and graphic design.[5]

Through activism and art, she campaigns for equality, justice and human rights.[2] In her creative work she also highlights the impact of climate change on the global South.[6] She is the co-founder and National Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK, a founding member of Movement Against Xenophobia, BME Lawyers for Grenfell and BAME Lawyers for Justice and has played a prominent role in campaigning against injustices ensuing from the Windrush scandal.[7][8][9]

In 2012 she won the Role Model award at the National Diversity Awards.[10]

In 2018, in recognition of her work in arts and culture and as a campaigner for race equality, she was invited to become part of the UNESCO Coalition of Artists for the General History of Africa.[11] She founded the Roots, Culture and Identity arts collective, which showcases the art of predominantly young black, Asian and migrant artists,[11] and she is the author of the 2017 book Striving for Equality, Freedom and Justice: Embracing Roots, Culture and Identity: A Collection of Poetry, published by Hansib.[12] Holbourne has contributed work to anthologies including New Daughters of Africa (2019), edited by Margaret Busby,[13][14] and Here We Stand, Women Changing the World.[15] Publications for which she has written include The Guardian, the Morning Star and The Voice.[16][17][18]

On the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition in August 2020, Holbourne delivered the Dorothy Kuya Memorial Lecture at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.[4]

In 2021, she wrote a "Manifesto for Cultural Workers" that was launched by Public Services International (PSI), addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, public policy and systemic exploitation on workers in the arts and culture sector.[19] She was curator of the Roots, Culture, Identity virtual art exhibition hosted by the TUC Race Relations Committee in 2021.[20]

Holbourne has been the organiser of a long-running petition calling on the Home Office to end "mass deportations" to Jamaica.[21][22]

References

  1. 1 2 O'Hara, Mary (5 February 2014). "Zita Holbourne: fighting austerity's bigger impact on black and minority ethnic people". The Guardian.
  2. 1 2 "Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Memorial Lecture Series 2020 Zita Holbourne – 22 August 2020, 6pm". Black History Month. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Two questions about diversity for Zita Holbourne | Interview". European Network of Cultural Centres. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Zita Holbourne | Biography". Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Memorial Lecture Series 2020. National Museums Liverpool. 22 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Artwork". Zita Holbourne. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Climate Emergency- painting". Red Green Labour. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Holbourne, Zita (15 February 2020). "'We cannot let off the hook those complicit with mass deportations'". The Voice.
  8. ↑ Holbourne, Zita (20 March 2020). "Why the Windrush Lessons Learned review doesn't go far enough". The Voice.
  9. ↑ Holbourne, Zita (25 November 2020). "For Christmas, Priti Patel is planning more devastating deportations – here's how you can stop them". gal-dem. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Zita Holbourne: Race activist wins top award". Operation Black Vote. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Biography". Zita Holbourne. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Striving For Equality Freedom and Justice". Zita Holbourne. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "Clapton bookshop to celebrate release of major anthology of African women's writing". Hackney Citizen. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "New Daughters of Africa book launch events, readings, interviews and signings". Zita Holbourne, Poet~Artist~Activist. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "'Here We Stand: Women Changing The World' wins the Bread & Roses Award 2015". The Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Zita Holbourne profile". The Guardian.
  17. ↑ "Articles by Zita Holbourne". Morning Star.
  18. ↑ "Written by: Zita Holbourne". Voice Online.
  19. ↑ Collins, Francesca (4 May 2021). "Union federation launches manifesto for cultural workers". Museums Association. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Roots, Culture, Identity virtual art exhibition 2021". Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  21. ↑ Da Silva, Chantal (25 November 2020). "Home Office sparks outrage with plans for Jamaica deportation flight on day lockdown lifts". The Independent.
  22. ↑ "Strength, Resilience and Struggle: Zita Holbourne Commemorates Windrush Day". Autograph. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
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