Madeleina Kay 2020
Since 2016 I have been using the Arts, music and literature to campaign creatively against Brexit with a positive pro EU narrative.
The initial £1000 target will help to keep me campaigning until the Brexit deadline of 31st January. I will be attending a number of meetings in UK/Europe about where to take the campaign next as well as working on funding applications for Arts projects aimed at building cultural bridges to prevent the further fracturing of the EU. I will be working on a video documentary from footage I have filmed during the last year, and finalising my new book with the Artwork from my tour of the EU28. I will also be attending any protest events in the final weeks before Brexit is delivered. "It's not over until it's over." (Lyrics from 'the Brexit Dividend')
The next movements after January will depend on the outcomes of the actions listed above - and i will issue an update to my supporters to keep them informed of progress and plans.
If you are still wondering whether to support my work, here is what I have done in the last 3 and a half years...
1) I've written and recorded protest songs, which I have performed at events and festivals across the UK and Europe, including Glastonbury, Yo!Fest (Strasbourg) and Opener Festival (Poland). I've also performed at the National Justice Museum and the Nikolaikirche state Museum in Berlin. I have also created music videos with the help of my videographer, Jeff Kew: 6 of these videos have gone viral on Twitter (Achieved over 100K views).
2) I've written, illustrated and self-published 6 books , including; 4 children's picture book about a variety of political/social/environmental issues, including a Children's book about refugees which was sold in aid of charity. A satirical parody "Theresa Maybe in Brexitland" which was sent to MPs and a factual information booklet about Brexit "24 Reasons to Remain" which was widely distributed to the UK's grassroots pro-EU network.
3) I've organised community Arts project, "Letters 2 Europe" where I collected 1000 hand-written letters from Remainers in the UK with a message of friendship to Europe and took them to Brussels - where We met Guy Verhofstadt at the Parliament . I also helped to organise and performed during the musical "Bollocks to Brexit" bus tour of 50 stops around the UK, Brussels and Ireland.
4) I've used my illustration and design skills to create leaflets, banners, posters and digital content for a variety of different campaign groups and initiatives. I've also created "Brexmas" cards, and other merchandise including T-shirts, badges and magnets. Some of my work has been exhibited in the National Justice Museum in Nottingham.
5) I've been interviewed by BBC local news, Sky News , Channel 4 News, appeared on BBC Radio 4 Any questions and the Daily Politics Show. I've been featured in documentaries by foreign press including German press; ZDF, ARD, 3Sat &Deutsche Welle , as well as Austrian, South-Korean, Belgian, Japanese and New Zealand documentaries. I've appeared in articles in Zeit Online , FAZ , Handelsblatt , Paris Match and French Grazia.
6) I've spoken at events across the UK and Europe including at the EESC in Brussels, at the LSE in London,for Zeit Online in Berlin, at the March for Change in Parliament Square, London.
Awards:
"Young Talent Prize" in the 'Great British Postcard Competition' by Saxoprint in 2017. "Young European of the Year" by the Schwarzkopf Foundation & EU in 2018. "Democracy Needs Imagination" grant from the European Cultural Foundation in 2019.
I have been committed to campaigning for the values which underpin the European Union for the last 3 and a half years: Equality, diversity, tolerance and peace. With catastrophes such as Brexit going ahead, it is more important than ever to prevent the further fracturing of Europe, and do all that we can to rebuild bridges between the UK and the EU and to promote those values which the UK is tragically jeopardising. I believe that culture; the Arts, music, literature can be the thread to stitch Europe closer together.
All donations will help to support my creative work fighting for these principles in the hope of a better future for all Europe's citizens.