The Activists of Brighton
Luisa De la Concha Montes
‘The Activists of Brighton’ started as a personal attempt to make sense of the summer of 2020 – a historical moment of political turmoil and confusion. A summer that fueled emotions of anger and started conversations about privilege, identity and systemic change.
In an attempt to translate the social media noise into congruent sounds, Luisa held a series of conversations with seven Brighton-based activists. The aim was to exercise silence as a form of resistance, and about giving space (physical, audio-visual and digital) to those that had something to say. By inviting each activist to talk about the tensions between mental health and political work, the goal was to reject the myth of the invincible activist, and demonstrate that care and vulnerability should be at the heart of political change.
Brighton, a politically charged city, became the heart of the project. Each activist chose the location where they wanted to be portrayed, creating a symbolic link between their political journey and the city where they reside.
‘The Activists of Brighton’ is about hope, it is about believing in the need to build alternative futures. It is a collaborative project dedicated to those who make the conscious choice to fight for collective change.
Artist Biography
Luisa De la Concha Montes is a visual artist, photographer and writer born and raised in Mexico City. She moved to the United Kingdom in 2017 and now resides in London. She holds an MA from the University of Sussex in Photography.
Her work attempts to bring shapeless states, such as grief, diaspora, identity and memory into a physical form through documentary photography, digital explorations and visual poetry.
Links
Instagram: www.instagram.com/erst.while
Website: https://iiconclash.wordpress.com
Activists Portrayed
AFLO. the poet - @aflo.thepoet
Jessica Leigh (Our Streets Now) - @jesssjleigh
Kaia Allen-Bevan (TEDX 2022 speaker) - @kaia.ab
Maddie Ross (Girl Code Theatre)
Nissren Fox (UCU)
Priss Nash - @prissnashpoetry
Sara Alsherif
Photo on the left: A take on @We Can Do It!@ WWII Poster by J. Howard Miller. feturing Angela Davis by Aldo Scaletta
Priss Nash (they/she)
“Just existing as a Black woman is activism.”
Priss Nash is a spoken word artist, poet and musician. They took part in the Black Lives Matter protests in Brighton in 2020 and performed the poem ‘Wake Up’ alongside AFLO. The poet.
In our interview, they highlighted how poetry has become an outlet to deal with their emotions: “It gets very loud up in the brain, and once it is all written down, it is easier to process. In the summer of 2020, there was so much pain, anger, exhaustion, hurt. There is still so much I want to scream about, but activism has really helped me process and see things in a different light.”
Priss wanted their photos taken in Hove Lawns, as that is the place where the BLM protests took place.
Nisreen Fox (they/she)
“I don’t even know what activism is without mutual aid.”
Nisreen Fox is queer Palestinian/British activist who was closely involved with the UCU (University and College Union) strikes in the University of Sussex in 2019.
In our interview, we spoke about their experience as a gay Muslim activist, and about the way in which having an activist community has been key to keeping their mental health in check: “I
do not know how I would do half the stuff I am doing without help. During the UCU strikes, I would be up until 2AM writing speeches, making posters, and dealing with social media. Honestly, all of that would have been impossible if we did not have a massive group.”
For the photoshoot, Nisreen decided to wear their keffiyeh to cover their face and remain anonymous.
Maddie Ross (she/her)
“There’s something about this feminine energy within this circle that keeps me going.”
Maddie Ross is a theatre director and producer who specialises on feminist plays. Her project, Girl Code Theatre is a collective that aims to tackle topics such as sexual harassment through performance. In March 2021, she released the documentary “Still Not Getting It”, which is about experiences of harassment and indecent exposure in Brighton during lockdown. She has also worked closely with Survivors Network, who delivers accessible, survivor-centred services across Sussex.
In our interview, she highlighted how important it is for her wellbeing to have a female-led community to rely on, as they are the ones constantly reminding her that it is OK to take a step back: “It is really nice to know that I have other people who can help me and take the burden off of me.”
Maddie wanted her photos taken to the left side of the Brighton Pier, as that is where most of the harassment documented on “Still Not Getting It” occurred.
AFLO. the Poet (she/her)
“Change is not going to come if you just wait.”
AFLO. the poet is an activist, spoken-word poet and PhD student who has been closely involved with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Our interview focused on the idea on self-care, and the importance of drawing a line between her public persona and her personal life: “I have taken the time to be in my own body, rather than being on the go all the time.”
AFLO wanted her photos to be taken in the Level Park as this was one of the key locations during the Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020.
Sara Alsherif (she/her)
“Activism is a way to guide the anger and frustration. This is how I function. When I’m depressed, I do something to help.”
Sara Alsherif is an independent researcher and journalist from Egypt. She has been a prominent figure in a variety of movements since 2011. In November 2013, she was arrested for her work with the No Military Trials for Civilians group. She has been living in Brighton since 2019, where she did her postgraduate degree.
In our interview, she opened up about the emotional toll that the political experiences in Egypt took on her, and how activism became a way towards self-preservation.
Sara wanted her photographs to be taken next to the Sarah Hegazi mural in York Grove junction, which she helped create: “When I go to the mural, I feel like she is here. Brighton is her place.” Sarah Hegazi passed away in exile after suffering homophobic violence and torture by Egyptian police for simply holding a rainbow flag in public.
Kaia Allen-Bevan (she/her)
“You are an advocate for your own body, for your own mind.”
Kaia Allen-Bevan is a queer mixed race creative and activist whose work focuses on racial justice. She was part of the Black Lives Matter protests in Brighton. In 2022, she spoke at TEDx Brighton. Her work mainly focuses on the British education system and the shortcomings it has when it comes to Black identity.
In our interview, she emphasised the value of self-awareness in her own journey: “The liberation is for BIPOC people, it is not for the ego of white people. My aim has been to navigate my activism through humility and honesty so I don’t look like a saviour myself. In order to make change, we need to crumble the façade that activists need to have all the answers.”
Kaia selected the Level Park for her photographs as that is the place where protestors were able to take the mic after the Black Lives Matters protest on the 13th of June, 2020.
Jessica Leigh (she/her)
Jessica Leigh is an activist, educator and public speaker. She is a core campaigner at Our Streets Now, a nationwide campaign that aims to end public harassment in the UK.
In our interview, she emphasised how resting and taking care of her wellbeing is key to her practice: “I am more useful if I am well rested, if I take a break and I am not exhausted.”
She wanted her photos taken in the Valley Gardens, as this is where some of the educational billboards she helped design went up. The billboards were part of the #CrimeNotCompliment campaign, which featured real-life testimonials of experiences of sexual harassment experienced by girls, young women and people of marginalised genders.