Posters

Poster advertising the Festival of African Sounds, held at Alexandra Palace, north London on 17 July 1983, the eve of Nelson Mandela’s 65th birthday. The concert featured new music by African musicians. The all-star line-up included Hugh Masekela, Jazz Afrika, Dudu Pukwana and the Ipi Tombi dancers. The concert was organised by the AAM and sponsored by the Musicians Union, Arts Council and Greater London Arts Association.

Poster produced for the AAM’s 1983 ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Act’ campaign. The campaign warned that South Africa was a threat to peace in Southern Africa and the world. It asked the British government to end its collaboration with the apartheid regime and impose sanctions on South Africa. It called for support for UN moves to bring about the independence of Namibia and for support for the Southern African front-line states in the face of South African aggression. 

Because of a shortage of skilled white labour, South African companies were keen to recruit students from British universities. The National Union of Students produced this poster to urge students not to emigrate to South Africa.

One of many posters published by the Anti-Apartheid Movement to publicise the campaign for the release of political prisoners in South Africa and Namibia.

Poster advertising a week of action on Namibia, 27 October to 3 November 1982. The week began with a march through London when ‘summonses’ were served at the offices of companies that collaborated with South Africa’s illegal rule in Namibia. It also featured a speaking tour by SWAPO representative Jacob Hannai and a special leaflet on Barclays and Namibia.

This poster reproduced the centrespread of a Special Supplement to the March 1982 edition of the AAM’s monthly newspaper Anti-Apartheid News. It was produced as part of the publicity material for the AAM’s 1982 campaign ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’.

One of a set of four posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. The isolation of apartheid South Africa was the central theme of Anti-Apartheid Movement campaigns from its foundation as the Boycott Movement in 1959. It worked to isolate apartheid in every arena, including sport and culture, and trade and investment. 

One of a set of posters produced for the AAM’s ‘Southern Africa: The Time to Choose’ demonstration on 14 March 1982. At the same time as it called for the total isolation of South Africa, the AAM called for support for the liberation movements and all those fighting for freedom in Southern Africa. After Zimbabwe won its independence in 1980, the AAM concentrated its activities on Namibia and South Africa.