Anatomy of Solidarity, a community-led project by Seeta Patel Dance, ran from August 2025 to March 2026.
Rooted in Bristol's history of collective action and resistance, the project brought together four unique community groups to develop creative responses to the theme of solidarity.
I worked as the project producer with the most excellent Katy Noakes (project manager) and the amazing participants and facilitators. Together, we delivered a successful programme of workshops, resulting in a dynamic exhibition at M Shed.
Header image by Mark Simmons: final celebration event.
The communities & their work
Three of the groups (Art Against War Club, Latinas in Bristol and creativeShift with St Pauls Printmakers) created visual work for the exhibition. Movema’s World Fusion group took part with a dance routine.
The Latinas and their finished work, with a cameo from Seeta Patel. L-R Silvia, Vanesa, Claudia, Petra, Yanet, Seeta, Faviola and Luz. Image by Mark Simmons.
Latinas in Bristol, led by artist Yanet Ramirez, made arpilleras - embroidered panels with a history of political dissent. Image by Irene Zurera.
Each group member made their own individual panel - a personal take on solidarity in Bristol. The finished panels were then sewn together to form a swishable skirt. Image by Irene Zurera.
The final piece on display at M Shed, with (L-R) project lead, Ruth Ramsay, and participating artist, Jackie Braithwaite. Image by Mark Simmons.
Lead artist Coco Yeonsoo Do led Movema’s World Fusion class in a K Pop routine, exploring intergenerational and international solidarity. Image by Irene Zurera.
Led by artists Barbara Disney and Ruth Ramsay, creativeShift’s ArtShed group, in collaboration with St Pauls Printmakers, made a Skirt of Solidarity. Image by Irene Zurera.
Movema’s Penny Caffery modelling the Skirt of Solidarity. Image by Irene Zurera.
Art Against War Club made impactful protest work, calling out Bristol’s links to the arms industry. Some of it was redacted (!), raising important questions about art and censorship. Image by Mark Simmons.