I saw a poem last week, stating that 2020 could be the year that everything changes, and it certainly feels that way.

The events of the past few weeks have been eye opening for so many of us, but have been a repeating pattern for decades, with Black people having to constantly fight for their right to fundamental human rights. With the global pandemic still ongoing, social media has become an outlet for so many, especially creatives and artists, and now we are seeing it utilised to educate the masses on white privilege, institutionalised racism, and class divide.

As a white, middleclass, able bodied, cis gendered, slim, heterosexual woman, who also experiences pretty privilege (among other things), I here to hold my hands up and say that I have found the last month or so uncomfortable. My guilt has made me squirm, and I have been wondering what is the 'right' thing to do. Those who follow my social media presence will have seen the vocalisations of my support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as sharing petitions, resources and Black voices that can educate us.

The simple fact is, I will never be able to do too much in support of this movement. But it is vital that I - and all white people - do what we can to be allys in this turbulent world.

All of this has made me realise that I need to assess how I can use my art and my platform to support causes and movements that are important and mean alot to me. So, I have decided to create a manifesto, to lay out plainly what I will be doing to support the BLM movement, to contribute to those in need as a result of Covid-19, and to support charities with causes that are making real change.

You won't find me campaigning to lead any political parties (well not yet anyway), but I only hope in doing this, you can assess your own and others' actions in similar ways, be given access to resources and see what small things we can do to change the world.

It's a brave new world, one that I hope to see blossom with colour, diversity, health and peace. But we have to put the work in, now and consistently. Below, you will see 4 steps I will be taking to further support causes that matter to me, specifically Black Lives Matter, and charities that directly contribute to those effected by transphobia and domestic violence.

This list is not exhaustive and part of step 2 means that I will be continuing to learn and educate myself, which means my approaches may evolve. If you have constructive criticism, advice or guidance on this, I would really love to hear it and will continue to adapt my behaviour as I learn.

I must make it clear that I will not become a BLM artist, nor will be soley dedicated to these movements, because it would not be right for me to be the voice of people who have experienced racism and injustice their whole lives. But I will not stay silent, and I will always use my voice to share, support and discuss all things that will lead us to an equal and just world.

I hope you are all keeping safe, sane and being kind to yourselves.