Protest for Progress

ZEST Hall’s very first exhibition ‘Protest for Progress’ was made in partnership with Leeds City Museum. The exhibition featured works from 33 artists across the globe, as well as showcasing items from Leeds City Museum’s ‘Rock Against Racism’ collection, and objects from the first Leeds Trans Pride march in 2018.

Launching on the 28th June 2020, the exhibition marks 51 years since the Stonewall riots in New York City - a monumental protest which saw the uprising of the LGBT+ community against their long battle with police brutality. With the protests and the uprising of the #blacklivesmatter movement, we felt that the exhibition could not be more timely, as we continue to fight against police brutality in a system which is oppressive to minority groups.

The exhibition aims to represent minority voices, focusing on protests, rebellion and change. With works ranging from photojournalism, paintings, spoken word, installation, film and performance, we hope to use our platform to educate and visualise a better future.