Let’s Play Football

Ruth HartleyApartheid, Climate change, Colonialism, Conflict, Displacement, Home, Human rights, Justice, Migration, Politics, Power, Race, Refugee, War6 Comments

The wrong tweet? Gary Lineker made an error in the tweet that had him cancelled from hosting Match of the Day on the BBC. Delivering her policy statement in the House of Commons, Home Secretary Suella Braverman declared that Britain was being ‘invaded by a huge influx of refugees.’ – there are a hundred million who want to come to […]

Truth and storytelling, minds, hearts and history

Ruth Hartley Storytelling, History, Human rights, Justice, Politics, Power, TruthLeave a Comment

There are those moments when something you read strikes you so forcibly that you know you must embrace it and consider it carefully. When this happens to me it’s usually for an important reason. It may throw a clear light on something that’s happening in my life or in life in general that I need to grasp intellectually. It may […]

Connections between art, politics, and change in South Africa and Zambia

Ruth Hartley Storytelling, Apartheid, Art Process, Colonialism, Creativity, Design, Education, Human rights, Identity, Imagination, Justice, Mpapa Gallery, Politics, Printmaking, Racism, South Africa, Southern Africa, Visual Arts, When I Was Bad, ZambiaLeave a Comment

Andrew Verster, the best teacher I had Andrew Verster died on Sunday 16th February 2020. In 1964, After graduating from Camberwell School of Art and Reading University, he taught me painting at the Michaelis School of Art, University of Cape Town. He was a wonderful teacher – one whom I will never forget because of his kindness and the attention […]

Tears, fears, longing, belonging and living.

Ruth HartleyApartheid, Citizenship, Colonialism, Creativity, Displacement, Family, Feminism, Freedom Fighters, Human rights, Identity, Justice, Migration, Poetry, Politics, Power, Race, Racism, Religion, South Africa, Southern Africa, Visual Arts, War, Zambia2 Comments

Why I cried about who I might become “Why do you want to become a French citizen?” I was asked this question at the end of a gruelling two hour naturalisation interview. I burst into tears. “It’s such a difficult and important decision,” I replied, sniffling. “I’ve had to leave too many places I thought of as home. I want […]

Grenfell Tower

Ruth HartleyJustice, Poetry, Truth2 Comments

Smoke rushing skywards screaming swirling burning blackening poisoning roaring roiling sprinkling light spreading debris sparkling fire-wrapping the homes flaming flaming the living core fire-wrapping fire-wrapping the furnace of families flaming flaming choking the children fire-wrapping fire-wrapping blinding the babies flaming flaming closer to the crying fire-wrapping fire-wrapping the people who perish flaming flaming suffocating the souls fire-wrapping fire-wrapping searing the […]