Can art make a change? Is art relevant in a crisis? How can art unite a movement? Does it need to? Perhaps art and creativity can be a more personal way to process and deal with the world around us. 

‘Doing and making are acts of hope, and as that hope grows we stop feeling overwhelmed by the troubles of the world. We remember that we — as individuals and groups — can do something about those troubles.’ Corita Kent

Run by Sarah Autumn, Left Bank Leeds’ Creative Resistance group is a gentle form of activism incorporating environmentalism, anti-capitalism and solidarity. They use a range of creative tools including collage and junk journaling, sketching, print and poster making, poetry and letter writing to explore, discuss and respond to the world around us, develop creative practices of collective empowerment and action and find ways to express ourselves in hope and resistance. Each sessions explores a different theme and is often linked with other Left Bank projects. The November session will be an exhibition special.

Exhibition Special: "Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free"

Thought Bubble Comic Festival, in partnership with the Lakes International Comic Art Festival and the British Council are hosting an original installation at Left Bank which focuses on the work of twelve Palestinian comic artists. 

Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free invites visitors to witness bold strokes of defiance and gentle whispers of hope.

Curated by George Khoury, who is based in Lebanon and recognised as the region’s leading expert on Arab comics, the exhibition explores themes ranging from personal identity to geopolitics, with the artists presenting remarkable perspectives on Palestine. The clamour of the past decades has tended to obscure the everyday lives and unique creativity of Palestinian comic artists, and 'Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free' seeks to reveal these unheard voices and experiences.

As part of the session this week, Left Bank Creative Resistance are inviting you to the Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free exhibition launch to explore the work and watch the artist videos. Sarah will then facilitate a doodle discussion which explores the themes of ‘Hope’ and ‘Defiance’, ‘Art as resistance’ and the question, ‘How is art helping Palestine to tell its own intimate story through the narratives of its people?’  

Using the notes, quotes, thoughts and doodles from this discussion, you’ll create your own piece of art in response to the exhibition. You’ll have access to a range of art supplies and collage materials as well as zine and comic templates, printouts and print stencils to help you get your thoughts onto the page whatever your prior artistic skills and abilities.

There will also be an opportunity to write a letter of solidarity to the artists drawing on the earlier ‘love letter writing’ sessions.

Find out more about the exhibition here.