‘Bread and Roses’ has dried out considerably since becoming saturated with rain water some weeks ago. Continuing scrutiny, austerity measures and draconian cuts within the welfare system means that many people – namely, the poorest and most vulnerable – continue to be deprived of the basic necessities of life.
American socialist and feminist, Rose Schneiderman made the statement: ‘the worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.’ It was these words that inspired me to create ‘Bread and Roses.’ Schneiderman was credited with coining the phrase in relation to her concern about worker’s rights and what she believed was their entitlement to something higher than subsistence living. Despite her statement going way back in history, it’s as pertinent today in relation to what’s happening under the current government and is a damning indictment of the way in which a number of UK citizens live their lives, forced in many cases to go without bread, let alone the luxury of roses.
