Zita Holbourne

Zita is an award winning, trade union, community & human rights campaigner and activist, an author, visual artist, curator, poet, vocalist and writer.

Zita is the Co-Founder and National Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK.

Zita campaigns against racism and other discrimination in the arts and culture sector.

She is part of the ACTSA (successor to the Anti-Apartheid Movement) board and co- curated tours of the Mandela Centenary exhibition at the South Bank Centre.

She is a former member of the board of advisors for International organisation; Initiative for Equality.

Zita is a founding member of BMELawyers4Grenfell and BAME Lawyers for Justice.

Zita is a proud and committed trade union activist and is the National Vice President of the PCS Union and Joint National Chair of Artist's Union England.

She is elected to the TUC Race Relations Committee and the TUC Women’s Committee, she represents AUE on the General Federation of Trade Unions National Executive. She is a representative on the European Public Services Union National and European Administration Committee and is a coordinator of the EPSU BAME network. She is a member of Public Services International Education and Culture group.

She also campaigns around the links between climate change, migration & refugees & spoke at COP21 in Paris.

She has advised the European Commission on gender equality and social inclusion in the culture sector and is the co-editor of Gender Equality: Gender Balance in the Creative and Culture Sectors.

Her campaigning and creative work has been recognised internationally, including by the United Nations. She is part of the UNESCO Coalition of Artists for the General history of Africa.

Her work has featured in exhibitions at Tate Modern, V&A, Stratford Picture House, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Goldsmiths Women's Library amongst many other venues both nationally and internationally.

Zita is the founder and curator of the Roots, Culture and Identity art exhibition.

Zita is a spoken word artist and a performance and published poet. She has performed at a diverse range of events and venues from festivals to theatres, conferences to rallies, including the National Diversity Awards, Glastonbury, The Houses of Parliament and had the honour of writing a tribute poem and performing this at the official UK Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela & in UK Parliament to mark the Nelson Mandela centenary.

She is the author of the book, Striving for Equality, Freedom and Justice.

Zita won the positive role model for race award at the National Diversity Awards in 2012, was listed as one of the top 10 African & Caribbean Women of the Year in 2013 and was a finalist and one of 5 people's choice poets in the Manorlogz Xtreme Spoken Word Contest in 2013. She received a lifetime achievement award for Equality Champion in 2019.

She is one of 13 British women campaigners featured in award winning book Here We Stand; Women Changing the World