This autumn, Create & Change embarks on another journey of creativity and community-building, this time led by new artist, Anam Zafar. Create and Change provides a safe, empowering space for women, particularly those from South Asian backgrounds in Birmingham, to focus on mental health and self-expression through artistic exploration. This season’s collaboration with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust will use the Trust’s archives as a rich source of inspiration for creative responses.
Anam Zafar brings a wealth of experience to the project. Her work in translation and printmaking navigates the intersections of language, accessible art techniques and identity. Her previous projects include co-translations of works like Yoghurt and Jam, Or How My Mother Became Lebanese and the upcoming Fearless and Free, the memoir of Josephine Baker, set to be published in 2025. Anam is also an active member of the Print and Matter collective, an experimental community programme that explores connections between religious practices and art-making for Muslims in Birmingham.
Talking about Create and Change, Anam said:
I am incredibly excited to be working on this project. It brings together so many of my interests and gives me a chance to work with women from my own community. I’m looking forward to exploring how our shared experience as South Asians from Birmingham will inform the work we make together, and I’m already curious to know how we’ll respond to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust archive.
Early in the term, the group, along with Anam, will visit the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust archive, delving into the historical materials to draw creative inspiration. This visit will form the foundation for the group’s work throughout the season, allowing them to blend contemporary experiences with classical narratives.
As the project unfolds, we can expect to see art that reflects the participants’ personal journeys, collective experiences, and Anam Zafar’s distinct approach to making. Create & Change continues to be a space for women to explore their identities, support one another, and discover the power of creativity in enhancing mental health and well-being. With Anam at the helm, this autumn promises to be an inspiring chapter in Create and Change’s ongoing story.
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