Adrianne Arendse

Adrianne Arendse
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The practice of Adrianne Arendse emerges from a lived exploration of identity, belonging, and the transformative potential of dialogue. A mixed-race South African poet, lecturer, and facilitator now based in Britain, their work centres on cultivating spaces of inclusion through what they describe as Gentle Power—a philosophy and methodology rooted in empathy, courage, and deep listening.

Gentle Power reflects a lifelong commitment to navigating complexity with grace, using conversation, poetry, and pedagogy as tools for collective reflection and change. Through this approach, the artist challenges entrenched hierarchies and colonial legacies not through confrontation, but through an insistence on tenderness as a radical act.

Working collaboratively with partner Silvia Causo, they seek to reimagine systems of organisation and learning, nurturing environments where difference is not merely tolerated but celebrated. Their work embodies a decolonial ethos oriented toward healing and human connection—a “through place to somewhere better,” as the artist describes it—where individuals might become strong, rested, and expressive together.

In blending activism, art, and education, their practice stands as an invitation: to inhabit our shared humanity with greater presence, care, and courage.

The Liberation Collective
2025