Real voices

Margaret Heffernan explores the debate over AI's impact on the arts, highlighting how AI threatens artists' livelihoods while undervaluing the crucial creativity and innovation that artists bring to society.…Read more

Stewart Lansley, author of 'The Richer, The Poorer', discusses how Labour's planned disability benefit cuts reflect a return to austerity, risking economic stagnation, social decline, and political fallout. …Read more

Mariia Makarova discusses how highly qualified Ukrainian refugees in the UK struggle with underemployment due to language barriers, unrecognised qualifications, visa limitations, and employer bias, despite their resilience and determination to rebuild their careers. …Read more

Kate Newby and Laura N. McGinty examine how reverse mentoring at the University of Sunderland empowered marginalised students to share their experiences with staff, fostering institutional change and demonstrating its broader potential in social justice and support systems.…Read more

Kristine Sheets examines how embroidery, especially Palestinian tatreez, serves as a powerful medium for preserving memory, resisting erasure, and connecting individuals to cultural history and collective identity.…Read more

Fran Bennett examines how incorporating the "lived experience" of poverty into public debate and policy-making empowers individuals and improves understanding and solutions.…Read more

Tara Lai Quinlan, author of 'Police Diversity' highlights how Black children have long been subject to disproportionate policing at the hands of UK police, including strip-searches and stop-and-searches.…Read more

Gerald Roche advocates for a global language rights movement, linking local struggles like those of Irish rappers Kneecap and Tibetan activist Tashi Wangchuk, to strengthen collective action and achieve meaningful change.…Read more

Joanne Coates' exhibition The Middle of Somewhere, inspired by the book Rural Poverty Today, blends personal stories and research to highlight the hidden struggles of rural women, illustrating the connection between art and academia.…Read more

Marthe Goudsmit Samaritter, Jonathan Herring and Camilla Pickles highlight how intimate examinations transcend maternity care, exposing power imbalances and violations against marginalised bodies.…Read more