Artists

In September 1984 a group of singers and dancers from Namibia presented a Festival of Culture and Resistance in eight cities in Britain and Ireland. The Festival publicised the ‘Namibia: Independence Now!’ campaign organised by the AAM and Namibia Support Committee. The tour was funded by the Commonwealth Foundation, Greater London Council and two Scottish local authorities.

Leeds City Council, local trade unions, and Leeds City and University AA Groups came together to organise a week of anti-apartheid events in October 1984. Activities included a vigil for political prisoners, collection of material aid, film shows and fundraising concerts, and an activists conference.

The ANC’s cultural group Amandla was formed in Angola after the 1976 Soweto uprising. It was made up of 30 young South African singers, dancers and musicians. On its1985 tour of Britain it visited centres all over the country, performing and holding workshops on music, dance and drama. The tour included shows at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Shaw Theatre. It was sponsored by trade unions and local authorities.

Members of the actors’ union Equity called for the resignation of Equity President Derek Bond after he performed for whites-only audiences in South Africa. Bond campaigned to reverse Equity’s support for the cultural boycott. Equity members picketed the first night of a play at Theatre Royal, Nottingham, in which Bond played a starring role.

In 1985 the British Defence and Aid Fund launched the Mandela Poetry Project to mark Human Rights Day, 10 December. It asked school students to contribute poems about Nelson Mandela and other Southern African political prisoners. This poster reproduces some of the 200 poems that were written as part of the project.

Cartoons reproduced from Anti-Apartheid News by artists including Steve Bell, Ken Sprague and Peter Clarke.

Lenny Henry and David Yip were among the 200 entertainers at the launch of Performers Against Racism on 26 January 1986. They pledged to boycott all links with apartheid South Africa. The launch was triggered by a referendum in the actors union Equity seeking to relax the cultural boycott. Performers against Racism called for the boycott to be extended to films and video as well as radio and television.

Hundreds of performers attended the launch of Artists Against Apartheid at the Donmar Warehouse in London on 5 April 1986. Among them were Harry Belafonte, Jonas Gwangwa, Lenny Henry, Benjamin Zephaniah, Alexei Sayle and Billy Bragg. Artists Against Apartheid was initiated by Jerry Dammers and Dali Tambo.