Thursday 1st December 2011 Unit 56, BOXPARK upper level open to the public: 5-7pm
On 1st December, acclaimed artist Stuart Semple will host a live-art-letter-writing event in the Amnesty Shop @ BOXPARK (Amnesty’s first retail concept store, featuring collaborations by British creatives such as Stuart). Members of the public can make their voices heard in support of Amnesty International’s’ ‘Write for Rights’ campaign, in the lead up to Human Rights Day (10th December).
Letter writing to prisoners of conscience has always been at the heart of the Amnesty movement. A giant postcard, painted live by Stuart in the ‘box’, will be plastered with personal messages of hope from Londoners and used to petition the Zimbabwean Embassy regarding the harassment and imprisonment of local women rights’ defenders, Women of Zimbabwe Activists (WOZA).
Amnesty has been campaigning for 50 years to protect human rights; wherever fairness, freedom, justice and truth are denied. WOZA’s story is being spotlighted by Amnesty for its new ‘Write for Rights’ campaign, where thousands of people across the UK will write a hand-written letter on behalf of ten Amnesty cases.
‘The Power of Love can conquer the Love of Power’ say the Women of Zimbabwe Activists (WOZA). On 1st December Amnesty is asking Londoners to get down to Amnesty Shop @ BOXPARK and add their messages of support and hope to a giant postcard designed by artist Stuart Semple.
amnesty.org.uk/write
Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK Director said: ‘In Zimbabwe women rights’ activists have been beaten, harassed and imprisoned for protesting peacefully – a basic human right we prize and exercise freely here in the UK. We are asking Londoners to come down to BOXPARK on 1st December and to express support for these women by writing a short message on this marvellous art work by Stuart Semple. We hope that this event will have a positive impact for the Women of Zimbabwe Arise.’
Stuart Semple adds: ‘As artists and creators, in a place where we have a large degree of freedom, we have a voice by which to speak and we need to start using it. So I’m hoping the artwork is a call to arms in the most positive of ways.’
