public engagement
The creative outputs manifested into many exhibition series and engagement opportunities than initially perceived. The rationale for taking on such a depth of work that far surpassed the initial research project aims, was simply because there was a strong public demand for this type of work.
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Artist Residencies
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22
Art House Jersey
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Nanjing, China UNESCO City of Literature Writers Residency
100 Agents of Change, In Place of War, UK
Art-Reach Trust: Look-Up Residency Portsmouth, UK
Belgrade Art Studio Belgrade, Serbia
Artdialogo British Council: Articulate Programme
North Louisiana Artist Residency
(North Central Louisiana Arts Council & Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation)
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Holes in the Wall Collective, New York
ArtHouse Jersey Retreat, Jersey UK
ArtHouse Holland, Netherlands
Art Dreams Foundation, London
Fellowships
Gen MH Foundation | Youth Mental Health Fellowship
Folger Institute | Artist Research Fellowship | 2022-2023
Orygen | Youth Mental Health Fellowship 2022
York University | Institute for Feminist Legal Studies, Osgoode Hall 2021
Speaking Engagements
2022
Speaker | YouthLink Scotland Policy Convention: Youth Work is Human Rights Work
TEDx Speaker | 'Art and Climat Activism' University of Stirling
Speaker and Panelist | International Youth Mental Health Conference, Copenhagen
Representative | ‘Youth Mental Health’ Goethe- Intstitute: Voices of Culture, Brussells
Speaker | American School of Barcelona
Panelist |Youth Conference 2022 By Tempo Media Group & Development Dialogue Asia
Judge | Reimagine Education Awards 2022
Speaker | Oxford University: The Starving Artist
Master Class | Oxford Royal Academy: Arts and Lived-in Experiences of Mental Health Workshop
Speaker | Dandelion Festival Scotland
Speaker | Scottish Goverment: Holyrood Volunteers Week
Speaker|Dismantling the Body: Possibilities & Limitations in Art Making Symposium, University of Washington
Speaker |’The Way Ahead’ National Initiative for Eating Disorders
Workshop | The Starving Artist by ArtHouse Jersey
Judge | Global Good Awards
Speaker | Scottish Parliament: Holyrood Evidence Week
Speaker | Jersey College For Girls
Speaker | Le Rocquier School
Speaker | JEDS: Jersey Eating Disorders Support Charity
Speaker | Talking EDs: Eating Disorder Support Service Scotland
Speaker | Eating Disorder Therapist Networking Group
Podcast Guest | BBC Sounds “Ally Zlatar bringing her 'Starving Artist' exhibition to the island“Panelist | Artsidize: Making Artistic Innovations Count for Empowerment, Artdialogo Asia
Speaker | Career Lounge: Health & Social Care, Diana Mentoring
Podcast Guest | The Tomato Timer #058 ft. Ally Zlatar
Speaker | Conversations for Change: Authenticity & Vulnerability in Activism
2021
Speaker | Spectrums of Hope- World Children’s Day, Artdialogo Asia
Speaker | Art and Activism Workshop- Diana Award
One Young Person, One Member of Parliament, One Hour | Glasgow Central MP
Speaker | "The Starving Artist" Institute for Feminist Legal Studies, York University
Speaker | Association of Academic Museums & Galleries Conference "Health & Wellness"
Speaker | British Museum’s London Drawing Group: Feminist Lecturer Series
Speaker | Together! Disability Month Festival for"The Starving Artist"
Stills From Le Rocqueir School (2022)
Awards
King Hamad and Kingdom of Bahrain | Youth Empowerment for SDGS Award
Rising Star in ESG | Women of The Future 2022
British Citizen’s Award | 2022
Special Recognition for Ally Zlatar’s impact on British Society
CeeD Awards Young Person of The Year 2022 | Finalist
Princess Diana's "Legacy Award" | 2021
Honours those young activists who have outshined as role models who are continuing the legacy of Princess Diana
Princess Diana's "Diana Award" | 2021
Honours a prestigious accolade to an individual for their social action and humanitarian work
Independent Artist of The Year | Corporate LiveWire Global Awards 2021-2022
Gallery Asna Poster (2022)
Explore Below...
Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival | 2023
Our founder Ally Zlatar spoke about Art Activism to Scottish audiences on how to explore mental health experiences through creative arts and utilize it as a key way to change our current systems. She highlighted how her personal journey and struggles led her to find her voice through creative arts. From there she has been using art to create systemic change through intersectionality of art and different sectors, art’s ability to communicate difficult subjects, and so much more.
A Glimpse Behind The Blood |The Red House Period Museum, Taipei Taiwan | 2022
This exhibition explores my difficulties with my Eating Disordered body that is emphasised through my menstrual experience. In sharing my intimate menstrual issues, I reveal the complex and diverse impacts of Eating Disorders. Some of the main themes of this show is vulnerability within menstration journies, learning to adapt with amenorrhea; a condition where the body enters survival mode because it is under-fuelled, causing menstruation to stop (Mc Gregor, 2022). Audiences are able to learn from my experience and see how eating disorders were a form of resistance against the menstrating female body.
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King Hamad and Kingdom of Bahrain | Youth Empowerment for SDGS Award | 11. 2022
King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment of SDGS is issued by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Bahrain Ministry of Youth and Sports. The award is recognizing Youth Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Starving Artist received the ‘People’ award for SDGs: Ending poverty and hunger in all forms. Part of this award was dialogue with Bahrain Royal Family members and being able to exchange ideas and discourse with Bahrain’s Ministry of Sustainability.
TedX University of Stirling | Shaping Strategic Changes | 2022
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx organized events that bring people together to share different leading voices. Our founder Ally Zlatar spoke about Art Activism as a key way to change our current systems. She highlighted how her personal journey and struggles led her to find her voice through creative arts. From there she has been using art to create systemic change through intersectionality of art and different sectors, art’s ability to communicate difficult subjects, and so much more.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind | Summerhall, Edinburgh Oct - Nov 2022
‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ is an annual exhibition which showcases artworks made by people who have experience with mental health issues in Scotland. My work was featured among the diversity of voices in the 2022 show and shared my eating-disorder and mental health journey with over 800 attendees.
International Youth Mental Health Conference | Copenhagen Oct 2022
As part of the “Speak up! the power of stories and creative methods in Youth Mental Health” The Starving Artist was presented to share the power of art advocacy and lived-in experiences. In accordance, Ally Zlatar was selected as a panelist for the “In Conversation” evening event where she shared her work on art-activism and mental wellbeing.International Youth Mental Health Conference, Copenhagen| Oct 2022
Image Stills From IAYMH 2022
Oxford University and Oxford Royal Academy | July 2022
This series of curated events is intended to open conversation, ignite debate and steer the intellectual and artistic direction of the University. While also, fostering students to explore the diversity of the industry icons. Ally Zlatar spoke about her lived-in experience of eating disorders and how she utilizes art as a catalyst for change making.
‘Dandelion Festival’ Glasgow | June 2022
The festival kicked-off with Ally giving a talk to local schools about the importance of youth change-making and the power of creative arts.
‘Volunteer’s Week’ Scottish Parliament, Holyrood |May 2022
Volunteers’ Week invited Ally Zlatar to speak to the Scottish Government about her work and The Starving Artist. She focused on highlighting art-activism volunteers for all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector and society as a whole.
’The Way Ahead’ National Initiative for Eating Disorders | 2022
The Way Ahead: How Canada's youth are taking up the challenge. I was welcomed as a guest speaker to share my work and experience on eating disorders to help organizations and leading Eating Disorder professionals focus on Lived Expertise within within the Canadian system transformation context.
Food: Recipe or Remedy | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Apr 2022 - Apr 2023
This exhibition encourages us to consider both the social and the medical ideas around food and aims to show how our shifting notions of, and relationship with, our diet have been central to medicine for hundreds of years. My work brought a contemporary reflection to our understanding of Eating Disorders and their relationship with food. I was also honoured to give a talk at the college to share more about the work and research.
ArtHouse Jersey Exhibition | Mar 2022
ArtHouse Jersey was delighted to announce the upcoming launch of an art exhibition exploring Eating Disorders, ‘The Starving Artist’. They have invited me to share my collection of paintings focusing on my experiences of living with an Eating Disorder. The exhibition took place at Greve de Lecq Barracks.
Judge for Global Goods Award | 2022 and 2023
I was delighted to be this first for the Global Good Awards. I was selected to join their judging panel for the Canon Young Champion of the Year Award. I was welcomed as their youngest ever judge at 24 years old, to the Global Good community.
‘The Body Room’ Gallery Asna, Clonakilty Arts | Cork, Ireland, Mar 2022
My works were selected for a solo show titled “The Body Room” at Gallery Asna in Cork, Ireland. My art deals with themes surrounding heightened periods of emotions experienced during Eating Disorders, mental illness and social engagement and the effects it has both on the mind and body. Using the body as a focal point in this work, I created a visual language that externalises the internal, personal experiences. Where my work diverges from traditional body-focused experiences of mental illness, is my exploration into the body as a path to understanding the mind of the lived-in experience.
The Princess Diana Award | Jun 2021
The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for social action and humanitarian work. Named after Diana, Princess of Wales, the award was established in 1999. I received my Diana Award in June 2021 for my efforts for "The Starving Artist" and for utilizing my art and activist voice to make a change.
The Princess Diana Legacy Award |Dec 2021
Myself and the other Legacy Award recipients were chosen by a prestigious independent judging panel, chaired by Lord Spencer, who awarded exceptional individuals, already recognised for their impact on society. This award is the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work. As one of the recipients, I had the honour of meeting Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge; Lord Spencer and got to share my work with industry icons and innovators across the globe.
Legacy Story https://diana-award.org.uk/stories/ally-zlatar/
Nanjing Writers Residency- UNESCO City of Literature | Oct 2021
As a selected artist-writer I got to participate in dialogues with local writers on such topics as literature’s role in a digital era, the relationship between the female body and art activism what mental health means cross-culturally.
Image Stills From Nanjing Literature Center
London Eating Disorders Conference 2021
Presentation of “The Starving Artist: Understanding Eating Disorders Through Contemporary Art”
Poster: The Starving Artist, Ally Zlatar 2021.
‘Gender Now’, Golding-yang Art Gallery |Morehead State University, Kentucky 2021
‘Gender NOW’ is an exhibition of selected works on how artists are interpreting the word ’gender’. My work focuses on how, Eating Disorders can affect an individual’s perception of an individual’s gender and their relationship with their body, sense of identity and social roles.
‘The World of Women’s Resistance’| Institute of Feminist Legal Studies | York University, Toronto, Canada 2021
The World of Women's Resistance is an exhibition featuring the works by the 2021-2022 visiting fellows of the Institute of Feminist Legal Studies at Osgoode Law School of York University.
The exhibition features the works of Amy Barlow, Mandi Gray, Mahsa Sabaghi Khameneh, Erin Troy, Ally Zlatar & Miriam Zucker.
My focus as the curator was to work with each scholar who has been exploring women's resistance through their respective disciplines. Ranging from transitional justice, via the experiences of women survivors of wartime sexualized violence, understanding women's experiences of Eating Disorders through art activism and gender norms of religious groups based on geographic origins. Whereas others look at reporting sexual violence and the repercussions in the legal system, representations of Muslim women in the Terrorism media streams and many more themes.
What all the research practitioners share is a common strive for women's struggles to be heard. The aim is to exemplify the diversity of the adversary women endure globally and inspire social and institutional reform through women's experiences and narratives.
Safeline UK Artist Showcase | Warwick
I curated the ‘Safeline’ UK artist showcase for 2021 that included both digital and physical exhibitions. These talented individuals explore the theme of hope regarding Eating Disorder recovery and resistance in their works. The artists are from all over the UK and each share a piece addressing these issues.
The ‘Safeline’ organisation works with vulnerable young people in the UK to help them develop skills to be confident, happy and safe. ‘Safeline’s’ services can make a difference to both prevent abuse and support survivors. In addition to my curatorial contribution to the project, I also included some of my work that featured some of her work looks at Eating Disorders and recovery concerning sexual abuse and trauma.
Image Still From Safeline
Journeys Festival International | Leicester, Manchester, Berlin & Portsmouth, 2021
‘Journeys Festival International’ curates, presents and commissions a varied programme of work created by artists that explores personal experiences after the pandemic through artistic and creative encounters. For the first time, the Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth Festivals combine programming brought three weeks of public works, creativity, online content and world-class cultural experiences. My work focusses on taking the private and intimate conversations about mental health and bringing them into the public sphere through the public works displays, billboards and digital ads.
Image Still From Journeys Festival
Look Up, Aspex Gallery | Portsmouth UK 2021
Produced by ‘ArtReach’, as part of the ‘Liberty EU’ project and ‘Journeys Festival International’, ‘Look Up’ 2021 is a collaborative visual arts mentorship programme, hosted by Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, and coculture, Berlin, Germany. Within this context I developed the bilboard campaign that was installed in Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth as part of Journeys Festival International 2021 and partaken in two residencies at Aspex, Portsmouth and Coculture, Berlin.
Image Still From Aspex Portsmouth
One Body, My Body, No Body 2.0 | The Herald, Glasgow Nov 2020
‘One Body, My Body, No Body’ exhibition had a debut at The Herald Building in Glasgow City Center. The exhibition featured a variety of pieces of mine, that documented the autoethnographic journey of my Eating Disorder experience. I give the audience a glimpse into the reality of living with an Eating Disorder. I strive to capture the personal struggles and experiences combating Anorexia. Each painting dives into the profound emotions and immense difficulty living with an Eating Disorder. The work includes difficulties with food consumption, excessive exercise and body image struggles, which led me to become ill.
Image Still From The Herald
“Together!” CIC: Artist Exhibition Disability Month | London Nov 2020
This event featured a public viewing of my ‘The Starving Artist’ exhibition in collaboration with “Together 2012” 2020 Disability Month. The relationships between contemporary art, artists, disability and Eating Disorders are put under the spotlight in this event.
Image Still From Together!
One Body, My Body, No Body |Art House Holland | Oct 2020 Leiden
‘One Body, My Body, No Body’ is an art exhibition was featured at Art House Holland in October 2020. Some unique features were the inclusion of personal belongings (i.e scale, yoga mat, childhood teddy bear) to give more personal touches to the experience in the exhibition.
Image Still From Art House Holland
Workshop Gallery
Images from selected presentations include:
Jersey College For Girls, Le Rocquier School, JEDS: Jersey Eating Disorders Support Charity, Talking EDs, Eating Disorder Support Service Scotland and Eating Disorder Therapist Networking Group
the starving artist © 2025
All images and content are copyright of The Starving Artist & the artists featured.
They cannot be reproduced without explicit authorization and credits.