AN ART X ACTIVISM COMMUNITY
ABOUT SHELBY X STUDIOS:
Zine-making our way to futures of freedom and joy!
Late stage capitalism has us facing extreme poverty, systemic racism, environmental crisis, the list goes on... And if that wasn’t enough, the global pandemic deepened inequality and made injustice ever more apparent. It can be overwhelming! But, just as repression evolves, so does the resistance and Shelby x Studios exists to highlight the power of the people!
Home of rebels and revolutionaries, it is a space to connect with other people who want to create a world with community care at its core. We collaborate with artists, grassroots campaigns and community groups to bring you educational resources and uplifting artwork to reignite our faith that change is possible.
We are all about using art to make activism more accessible and breaking down barriers to participation. Learning from 'artivists' such as Emory Douglas, Sylvia Pankhurst and Frida Kahlo, our community projects promote the rights of oppressed people and impact on social issues. We commission artists championing the rights of working class, disabled, LGBTQ+ people, women+, and those raising awareness of anti-colonial, anti-racist and indigenous social movements.
Shelby x Studios is a space for conversations that encourage community care, learning and growth. We use the arts as a tool to offer up new perspectives, make things relatable and help us understand complex political issues.
LOVE WHAT WE DO? HERE’S 3 WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT US…
1. Hire us:
Have you got a project in mind that would benefit from having a zine? We create unique publications that help to jazz up your data, create vibrant visuals for your campaign and showcase your projects. Get in touch!
2. Shop our merch:
We create exclusive motivational merchandise so you can represent the issues you care about, whilst helping to fund them at the same time. Head over to our shop and take a look around. Shop here.
3. Donate to support our archive:
Full to the brim with the freshest content from the biggest names in art activism to undiscovered, underground artists, our growing zine archive is waiting for you to explore it. You’ll find uplifting art and educational resources to help you connect with issues you care about, learn about new topics and support grassroots campaigns. All donations go towards paying artists to create content so to support this Donate here!
Follow our journey:
It doesn’t stop here, we're planning BIG THINGS like residential programmes, online courses, a podcast and a Hackney art activism festival.
Follow our journey.
Artwork by Sophie Bass
I’d love to hear from you, so get in touch…
hello@shelbyxstudios.com
London, UK
Hey, I’m Grace, Creative Director of Shelby x Studios.
Pronouns (she/her/they/them)
I believe that in order to dismantle systems of oppression, we need to be able to imagine a world without them. Shelby x Studios is here to help us envisage what that world looks like.
I was raised by activists in a communal house, so was campaigning before I could walk. As a politically conscious artist, I create campaign materials, using design and illustration to strengthen social justice actions. I am inspired by ‘artivists’ such as Emory Douglas, Sylvia Pankhurst and Frida Kahlo who have been at the forefront of creating revolutionary culture. I have worked with groups such as Justice for Grenfell, Women Against Rape, the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Defence Campaign UK and Sisters Uncut. I believe art is a powerful tool that brings communities together, makes information accessible and inspires positive social change!
Before setting up Shelby x Studios I worked as the Creative Director of a youth arts organisation, supporting creative people to pursue their ambitions and advocating for arts equity. I have run large-scale community arts programmes, painted murals across Europe and produced exciting arts events. In 2019, I produced an art x activism project for international artivist, Yoko Ono, working with over 35 artists.
The combination of my experience as an activist and an artist has driven me to build this community of political education and creativity. If you are a campaigner who wants to use creativity to get your message across, a creative who wants to use your skills for activism, or if you are looking for ways to become more active… Rebel Explore the Zine Archive!
