Powerful art by survivors of modern slavery takes over the iconic Piccadilly Lights

18 October 2024

To mark Anti-Slavery Day (18 October), the iconic Piccadilly Lights screens paused its usual adverts for ten minutes at 11:00am to display powerful artwork created by survivors of modern slavery.

The art is part of an annual ‘Art is Freedom’ exhibition, created by survivors of modern slavery who are supported by the charity Hestia, which is on display now at Trafalgar Square, Waterloo station and Victoria station until Sunday 20 October.

Hestia is using the opportunity on Europe’s largest electronic advertising space to highlight that modern slavery is happening all around us in the UK today. The charity’s recent research revealed that over the past year, modern slavery crimes were identified in every London borough, and yet only 32% of Londoners realise that modern slavery is an issue in their local area.

Hestia has supported almost 6,000 victim-survivors in London over the past 13 years. Victims endure a range of serious abuses, from repeated physical and sexual violence to debt bondage and forced labour. This exploitation is too often overlooked or poorly understood.

This opportunity was possible thanks to the support of VML who created the film, and L

andsec who donated the ad-space. The film promoted Hestia’s Trafalgar Square exhibition which is delivered in partnership with Westminster City Council.

One of the survivor-artists featured in the exhibition said:

“This experience has given me so much power. I was treated as an equal individual and taken seriously. I found so many talented people there in the groups, no matter what we have experienced. And I am so happy to see more people are getting helped to build up their lives again.”

Another survivor-artist added:

“I’m so proud of every artist. Change starts with us. I urge everyone to work towards eliminating modern slavery.”

Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive at Hestia, commented:

“This is an incredible moment for our artists who have endured the most brutal crimes, to now see their artwork displayed at this famous location. Modern slavery is all too real across our capital today, and we hope that this campaign and exhibition will raise awareness while also celebrating the talents, resilience, and creativity of survivors.”

Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection said:

“I’m thrilled that Hestia’s Art is Freedom exhibition has returned this year to the screens at Piccadilly Circus and showcased in Trafalgar Square. By showcasing the stories of those directly affected by modern slavery, it serves as a poignant reminder that this issue sadly persists in 2024. The council will continue to work alongside organisations like Hestia to support the incredible work they do, and raise awareness of the experiences of those impacted by modern slavery.”

Laura Kelly, Business Lead at VML who created the film added:

“We are delighted to help Hestia evolve this important initiative year after year. The ability to showcase these artist's work in such renowned London locations not only gives maximum visibility for their stories, but serves as has stark reminder that modern slavery still exists today."

You can visit the ‘Art is Freedom’ exhibition until 20 October 2024.

Find out more about Art is Freedom