Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Hannah Robathan
“Being a bimbo doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a dumbass”
Is Bimboism a performance, as per Judith Butler’s gender theory, and if so, who is the performance for? Is Bimboism a performance, as per Judith Butler’s gender theory, and if so, who is the performance for?
Aisha Seriki is occupying the intersection of Blackness and migration
When Nigerian artist and photographer Aisha Seriki was a young child, she encountered the sharp end of the UK’s border system as she and her family moved from South East Asia to eventually reside in London. Her experience at The Home Office, a police state system which continues to impact her life through denying her father entry to the UK, has necessarily shaped her perception of the world.
Dreaming the impossible: How football transcended war in Iraq
I think the context in which I first came across Saoud Khalaf’s filmmaking was significant. It was during Southbank Centre’s Refugee Week takeover; I’d just hosted a panel on the power of healing through sport following a screening of shado’s Comfort Angels documentary, which centres on a women’s football team in Liverpool made by and for refugee women and people seeking asylum.
"Whenever I tell people I'm an immigration lawyer, I get a certain reaction"
It’s legitimately hard to keep up with UK politics at the moment. At the time of writing (which won’t have much longevity given the fact that we’ve had three Secretaries of State for Education in as many days), 52 Conservative MPs have resigned and even Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been forced, kicking and screaming, to step down in Autumn.
shado x GoClimate present: Why reparations are crucial to climate solutions
Date and Time: Wednesday 2nd February, 6.30pm Location: online webinar (streamed to shado’s Facebook) Tickets: Free via Eventbrite HERE Join shado, Helena Gualinga, Bernard Kato Ewekia, Jhannel Tomlinson and Sam Siva as we delve into the debt owed by the Global North to the Global South and how reparations are a crucial measure to end the legacies of colonialism and extraction which have caused the acceleration of the climate crisis. * What are reparations? What do they look like in practice?
Show up, Speak up, Stand up: How protest art is leading our movements
When faced with the enormity of our global struggles, too often we can experience a sense of hopelessness at the barriers and injustices in place. And with young people confronting an inherited future characterised by climate breakdown and increasingly authoritarian governments, it’s hardly a surprise that Avaaz’s 2021 global survey revealed this year that 60% of young people feel extremely worried about their future.
ReDress the Future: on sustainable solutions and holding the fashion industry to account
WaterBear, a free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet, has launched its newest original content series, ReDress the Future, to explore some of the fashion industry’s most damaging factors and tangible solutions ahead of the infamous ‘month of fashion’.
shado x GoClimate present: Reclaiming land, food and sovereignty
7th September, 6pm BST shado and GoClimate are collaborating again for an event on the importance of action around food and land in the climate justice movement. We’ll be discussing a range of topics with activists from the UK and the US, including how anti-racism and de-colonialism are implicit to the movement and how current systems can be changed.
Holding Her Breath: Family secrets, loss and coming of age
She has the whole pool to herself. She has seen the others off: the rugby players in for their recovery swim, who splash around for twenty minutes and then retire to the sauna; the slow, steady pensioners who breaststroke endless laps. Beth counts them leaving, one by one, as she sluices through the water, flipping tautly at each end. It will never leave her, she thinks: the need to win. Eimear Ryan is the Irish writer behind the brilliant new novel Holding Her Breath.
“Being a bimbo doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a dumbass”: reclaiming Bimboism with Chrissy Chlapecka
I’ve recently been thinking about the ‘discourse’ that inevitably surfaces when a TikTok trend goes viral. It’s a blessing and a curse which has come to be synonymous with the territory, yet it’s definitely something that Vine, despite being the de facto blueprint of the social media channel, didn’t have to put up with.
B[L]ackground: an exploration of existence and non-existence
While there is no shortage of politically-charged art, it’s rarer to come across an artist whose work is both a byproduct and manifestation of real-life social justice work. Suley Wellings-Longmore is one of those individuals; human rights lawyer by day, artist by night, he unites his passions with a drive for change. Before going to Harvard this September, Suley exhibited his latest show B[L]ackground in East London last week.
shado x Instagram present: a pride prom - bringing LGBTQI+ youth the party they’ve been denied
Young people have been dealt a terrible hand this past year. In what feels like a never-ending string of lockdowns and false promises stripping away social interactions and throwing futures into jeopardy, UK’s youth have been one of the groups who have been hit hardest by COVID-19. For 2020 and 2021’s school leavers, the pandemic years have been particularly anticlimactic.
There is nothing complicated about the situation in Palestine
At shado, we’ve been encouraged by the resources being shared around social media in support of the Palestinian cause. But in the hope of cutting through the noise and hearing a nuanced opinion, we sat down with contributor Joey Ayoub to ask his thoughts on what is happening in Palestine and talked about language, the facade of religion, abolition through a Palestinian lens and everything in between.
There is nothing complicated about the situation in Palestine
At shado, we’ve been encouraged by the resources being shared around social media in support of the Palestinian cause. But in the hope of cutting through the noise and hearing a nuanced opinion, we sat down with contributor Joey Ayoub to ask his thoughts on what is happening in Palestine and talked about language, the facade of religion, abolition through a Palestinian lens and everything in between. On a very basic level, there’s no equal side of power.
Caleb Azumah Nelson: “Open Water is for the young Black people who don’t see themselves reflected in literature”
It’s difficult to add anything new to the excitable discourse around Caleb Azumah Nelson and his debut novel Open Water. The 27 year old writer and photographer has cut through the noise of first-time novelists with a beautiful meditation on Blackness, first love, masculinity, loss and growing up in London.
‘Beyond Bars’: Turning young people's experiences of lockdown into a legacy
We’re endlessly excited by the work of Football Beyond Borders, the football-for-education charity which has rewritten the rule book for working with young people, putting youth front and centre in everything they do. As an organisation which is based on building in person relationships with young people, COVID-19 lockdowns presented a distinct challenge – compounded by the fact that school-age people were one of the groups most impacted by the isolation caused by the pandemic.
How two Kenyan designers are disrupting the fashion industry through sustainability
Creative DNA x Fashion Scout have come together to create present WAUZINE – a digital showcase including three limited edition digital publications, featuring 11 emerging Kenyan designers, and bringing together cross-cultural collaborations between writers, illustrators and creative teams in both London and Nairobi.
From partition to present: Confronting intergenerational trauma
My nannajaan has always had a temper. He is intelligent, funny, generous, and hard-working. But he has always and will always have a temper. As a family, it was a constant struggle to not let this trait define him. From handing out ten pound notes and telling stories to his grandchildren, to a sudden hurricane of anger that had the power to create deep and lasting cracks in our tight knit family – it was often hard not to dismiss him as an angry Pakistani patriarch.
Black Future: Kay Rufai imagines a new reality through poetry and dance
‘Multidisciplinary’ is a bit of a buzzword in the artistic sphere, but as a photographer, poet, filmmaker, mental health researcher, playwright and immersive artist, it’s the best way to describe the powerhouse that is Kay Adekunle Rufai. He has spent the past three years exploring public health approach to violence reduction, Mental Health, Masculinity and community cohesion through art, photography, educational workshops and public speaking.
NEUTOKYO on the intelligence of the Black figure and what art should look like after the revolution
This week we chatted to Aaron Marin (aka NEUTOKYO), an American artist born in 1978 who lives and works in Upstate New York. The nom de plume, NEUTOKYO, is a nod to his formative years spent working and traveling in Japan. NEUTOKYO’s collage-based work confronts and challenges preconceived notions of beauty, power, and intelligence by fusing anthropology, art, and fashion.
A new generation is rising: the documentary spotlighting queer Nigerian youth forging a path to change
The EndSARS protests in Nigeria started on October 7th, and while the rest of the world seems paralysed in wait for the Biden-Trump result, they continue to rage. In these recent weeks, Nigerian youth have never been more visible, with thousands of young people on the streets protesting for change and calling for an end to police brutality. But those who face a dual oppression are the LGBTQI+ community, whose fight for survival plays out against a backdrop of both social and state oppression.
“This is my oxygen now”: the young artist bringing power to the people on the right side of history
“We’ve been told to stay silent. To blend in. To sit down and listen. However, our time is now. It is time to be loud, bold and unapologetic about taking up space.” People are still fighting for the rights of Black lives – though you wouldn’t know this if you turned on the news. Mainstream media has, since the very beginning, attempted to divert attention away from the Black Lives Matter protests.
Resistance and resilience: Why queer Nigerian lives matter in the #EndSARS movement.
Matthew Blaise, a queer Nigerian LGBTQI+ activist on the frontline in Lagos, shares their powerful story of queer resistance in the face of police brutality. “You’re stupid for telling us you have human rights, because here in Nigeria, human rights don’t exist. Other homos we arrest pay money and go – but you’re proving stubborn. You will be locked up in jail and nobody will know where you are’’. The policeman’s fingers twisted and pulled at my ear.
How Vittles is revolutionising food writing
This seemingly innocuous message from a friend in early June opened our eyes and inboxes to the treasure trove that is the Vittles newsletter. This seems relevant given that Vittles food writing success was totally organic – friends telling friends about a new form of distraction during lockdown.
Halabja: a history in the (re)making
Journey’s Festival International is an annual arts festival that celebrates the creative talent of artists and creatives from asylum seeking backgrounds. Part of the festival was due to take place in Portsmouth, and one particular spectacle was anticipated to adorn the inside of Portsmouth Cathedral. This was to be an incredible collaborative exhibition: Halabja: In the Golden Days.
No Direction Home: the comedy collective bringing laughter to your living room
No Direction Home is a comedy collective made up of aspiring stand-ups from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Created by Counterpoints Arts, Camden People’s Theatre and Tom Parry in 2018, the initiative runs free workshops and stand-up gigs for comics who are injecting humour into tired stereotypes of displacement. This September, the group will be taking their comedy online as part of a two week programme curated by Journey’s Festival International.
How can tech make the climate conversation more intersectional?
Join us on Instagram Live at 6.30pm BST on Thursday, 24th September for the first in our collaborative series with GoClimate, where shado climate editor @sharlene_gandhi will be talking to @joycelynlongdon – PhD candidate studying the applications of AI to Climate Change at Cambridge University, and founder of @climateincolour – about how and if tech can make the climate movement more intersectional.
From Compton Cowboys to Rosebud rappers: how Charlie Buhler is defying stereotypes of BIPOC communities
You only need to meet Charlie Buhler once to understand her work: the stories she has documented and the communities she has worked with speak to an extraordinary level of trust between filmmaker and subject. From kid cowboys in Compton, to Indigenous hip hop artists in Rosebud, South Dakota, it is clear to see how people would be drawn to Charlie’s infectious energy and authenticity – and why, in turn, they have been happy to open up their lives to her.
Lockdown Listening with Atlantis Gandhi
In an attempt to provide some relief during these uncertain times, shado has launched the Lockdown Listening series, where we will be releasing a weekly playlist in collaboration with some of our contributors and musicians, hearing about how they are coping and what they are currently listening to in lockdown. Our second playlist has been created by Atlantis Gandhi, who we interviewed and shot pre-lockdown.
Lockdown Listening with Oseloka Obi
In an attempt to provide some relief during these uncertain times, shado has launched the Lockdown Listening series, where we will be releasing a weekly playlist in collaboration with some of our contributors and musicians, hearing about how they are coping and what they are currently listening to in lockdown.
“In this pandemic, immigrant healthcare workers are taking on as much risk as anyone else, visa or not. Dispensing financial penalties during this time is as much poor policy as it is distasteful.” - Shado Magazine
With the UK’s death toll rapidly increasing and NHS healthcare workers speaking out against working conditions and the lack of PPE in hospitals over the UK, it is more important than ever to hear from those putting their lives on the line within the structure of a massively overstretched and underfunded NHS.
"We need to normalise the idea that it's okay if you're only just coping."
In February 2020, shado hosted Build Love, Break Walls, a two-week residency in celebration of LGBT History Month. As part of the exhibition, we spotlighted 12 of London’s LGBTQI+ changemakers. shado’s co-directors Hannah Robathan and Isabella Pearce sat down with one of these changemakers, Alex Leon, to find out more.
Glamrou is a celebration of my gender-queerness, and she’s a celebration of all the female facets of my Arab and Muslim heritage
Following the long-awaited release of Amrou Al-Khadhi’s Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen, shado sat down with the author, director and performer to find out more about their autobiography. The book explores the assumed contradiction of identity and culture through Amrou’s artful documentation of childhood, family, and the search for belonging.
Build Love, Break Walls: a queer spoken word evening
About this event: shado welcomes you to a queer spoken word evening including a spoken word open mic with special guest features from Jamal Hassan, Tasmia Salim and host, Henry Beckwith. This is part of shado’s residency in Bermondsey Project Space for two weeks in celebration of LGBTQI+ history month. This year, we are focusing specifically on the experiences of, and barriers faced by, those seeking gender or sexual asylum.
shado x The Allbright present: Changing the Narrative
In a world of information overload and the attention economy, how do we as women cut through the noise of today’s clickbait media? Learn from some of the leading voices in the industry during an evening of inspiring conversation hosted by co-founder of shado, Hannah Robathan. ** £10 TICKETS HERE ** Bringing together a panel of young female journalists disrupting narratives in the mainstream press, we’ll explore how the tone, format and interests of women’s media is changing.
Democratising sex: how sex toys can reduce pleasure inequality
Sex positivity and self-love doesn’t necessarily mean loving sex, or being horny all the time. We have to foreground this before we begin. The movement is, however, about giving us the tools and language to understand our own bodies and the confidence to vocalise (or even just know for ourselves) what we like and don’t like. Misinformation or lack of understanding will – and has – naturally led to inequality with some sexual partners.
2: Changemaker series
Angela Camacho, the ‘Bonita Chola’, is an incredible soul who fights for the rights of indigenous and Latinx communities from all across London and onwards: to her territory, now called Bolivia, and to throughout Latin America.
Previously Unreleased David Bowie Album To Come Out
Cookies Policy We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK" OK
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Hannah
Contact Hannah, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack