We are Calico: a Birmingham-based arts and activism company, co-creating artistic campaigns with local communities. We use art; live performance, short films, virtual reality experiences, to combat gendered violence.

During our final year at the University of Birmingham, Sarah Everard was murdered, and media responses to her murder pointed towards ideas that Sarah should’ve ‘flagged down a bus’ or been more ‘street wise’ to avoid being attacked. We (and our community) were outraged by what we were seeing in the news, and wanted to do something about it.

In May 2021, we were commissioned by ARTCRY to create a short film, Curfew, which explored the issue of sexual harassment in public spaces, and imagined all the weird and wonderful things we could do if public spaces were safe for everyone. Curfew was picked up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and appeared in the evidence base for Transport for West Midland’s VAWG reduction strategy, presented to the Department for Transport. This was the beginning of Calico, and our mission to use creativity as a catalyst to drive social change. 

Bridging the gap between our community and policymakers, we amplify voices and influence policies to dismantle systemic barriers. Our mission is to use creativity to drive social change and to foster a culture of respect, empathy, and empowerment. We envision a more equitable and inclusive society where all individuals can live free from fear and violence.

We are youth-led: 100% of our team is under 25. We believe that young people’s passion to speak up, and refusal to settle, is often misunderstood as a sign of weakness, rather than a strength. We believe our generation are changemakers and activists, and we are on a mission to prove that creativity can be a catalyst for change.