Why you shouldn’t donate to our Xmas art fundraiser
“No movement can survive unless it is constantly growing and changing with the times. If it isn't growing, if it's stagnant, and without the support of the people, no movement for liberation can exist, no matter how correct its analysis of the situation is. That's why political work and organizing are so important. Unless you are addressing the issues people are concerned about and contributing positive direction, they'll never support you. The first thing the enemy tries to do is isolate revolutionaries from the masses of people, making us horrible and hideous monsters so that our people will hate us.” Assata Shakur
Why you shouldn’t donate to a fundraiser…but become a member instead (or as well!)
There’s just 5 days left to donate to our 2025 Xmas art fundraiser and support bigger food parcels this Xmas for members (final date 19th December). But don’t worry, I’m here to discourage you from donating! Instead, consider becoming a Food & Solidarity member. There’s no rush! You can actually do this at any time and not just for Xmas.
We rely on members, not donations.
Membership fees are our collective pot - they fund food parcels, venue hire, and basic logistics. Nobody involved in this work is paid, and we are completely grassroots. By putting our money together every month, we can do more, for more members.
But membership isn’t just about fees. It’s also about time, energy, care and attention. It has taken the care, and attention of many people to run this fundraiser. From coordinating with artists, building a web shop, getting the word out and delivering artworks to those who've donated. We’ve been running these fundraisers for the last few years, doing what we can to raise a little extra for the collective pot.
“No one way works, it will take all of us shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down” Diane Di Prima
By becoming a fee-paying member, you can be directly involved in organising and supporting this kind of work. You can attend our actions, plan campaigns, & contribute to the decisions that shape our movement.
There are many fundraisers to support at this time of year, some more strategic than others. There are also a growing number of membership based organisations (unions or perhaps cooperatives) that you can consider joining in 2026 and beyond.
Rosalind Duguid
Rosalind Duguid is an artist based in London, and an active Food & Solidarity member when she lived in Newcastle. She is interested in how we live amongst the images we create.
Rosalind's instagram is here.
Pencil and wax crayon on wood veneer, approx. A5 size (minium donation £30)
Lesley Guy
Lesley Guy is an artist and writer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She is a member of TOTALLER, a collective of artists based around the North of England and Potato, a project dedicated to experimental art writing. Her PhD at Northumbria University was titled, I AM AN US: Exploring the Boundaries of a Shared Practice. She is interested in the overlap and gaps between solo and collaborative and creates fantastical dwelling places using scraps of card, pizza boxes and papier mache.
Leslie' instagram is here
Tomato Healer - Monoprints, 2025 is a series of 25 multi-coloured monoprints. Each print is slightly different, made on A3 newsprint. Numbered and signed by the artist. (Prints vary, selection of 4 images are examples only), minium donation £30
Diego Garcia Mejuto
Diego Garcia-Mejuto is an architect turned artist, whose work focuses on architectural simplicity and urban beauty. Known for his love of cities and intricate ink drawings, Diego’s creations are both timeless and personal.
See more of Diego’s work here.
Set of 4 Newcastle illustration postcards – minium donation £5.
Laura Harrington
Laura Harrington is an inquiry-led artist and researcher who makes work that considers the complex relations between humans and landscapes, often through fieldwork, cross-disciplinary research and collaborative working. Her practice centres on ‘upstream consciousness', a framework that connects rivers, peatlands and other upland ecologies to global currents. She lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne. Read more about Laura here.
These two drawings (from a series) were made whilst I was on a residency in Helsinki, Finland in 2016. As part of that I spent a period of time towards the end of winter (April) near Utsjoki in Sápmi visiting palsa mires (frozen peat mires).
Laura Harrington, 2016, Utjoki Thawcircle 1, Ink on Paper, 14.8 x 21.0 cm.
Laura Harrington, 2016, Utjoki Thawcircle 2, Ink on Paper, 14.8 x 21.0 cm
(Minium Donation £30 per drawing)
Kitty McKay
Kitty McKay is an artist and researcher eternally preoccupied with the ways in which public space is made and unmade. Working across installation, moving-image, sculpture, sound, collage and writing, their approach to practice is informed by feminist, queer and crip frameworks for understanding, and overcoming, the ways power constructs place.
Read more about Kitty here.
Kitty's Instagram is here
Benji Spence
My name’s Benji Spence. I’m a freelance designer and illustrator based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. My work is all about eye-catching colours, dancey shapes, bold compositions, and a sense of playfulness throughout. I’m always looking for fresh challenges, and interesting perspectives.
Benji's Instagram
4 Small clay earthenware figurines, handmade (Grumpy Bird, Dog, Giraffe, Bird)
Suziette Agazie
Suziette is a writer and creative who finds expression across multiple mediums. Her work has appeared in advertising, stage productions, blogs, and social content. Guided by the belief that stories move the world, she uses art to spark dialogue, shift perspectives, and drive social change. She is passionate about women’s empowerment and continues to use her platform to spotlight the strength and experiences of women.
Linoprint (Limited to 4)
Jo Cook
Jo is a retired art teacher who is developing her creativity through visual arts and poetry
Prints limited edition copy of 4 (colour and B&W) - donation £10 min
Johnson A
Johnson is a writer and poet, these works were created at the members' creative drop-ins
Prints limited edition copy of 4 (colour and B&W) - donation £10 min
