People Changing the World
**Trigger warning: Ally talks about her personal
struggles with eating disorders below**
Can you tell us a little bit about
yourself?
My name is Ally Zlatar and I'm an artist, activist, and ONE Youth
Ambassador in Glasgow, Scotland.
Can you tell us about the work you do?
I am the founder of an artist initiative that helps broaden
perspectives on eating disorders and mental illness called The
Starving Artist. My key focus areas are creating
artworks and arts-based research, publications, exhibitions,
workshops, artist talks, and reflections that explore marginalised
experiences of wellbeing. I also founded The Starving Artist
Scholarship Fund, which helps people access inpatient treatment for
eating disorders.
My art emerges from my own personal experiences. It's incredibly
difficult to express how an eating disorder can impact the
self-identity and self-image of someone who is ill. My work explores
the individual's experience by focusing on themes of illness,
vulnerability, and authenticity.
As a woman who comes from a family of displaced origins (my
family fled former Yugoslavia), I feel there is a lack of authentic
representation of migrant women. There's a focus on displacement,
social impact, and social struggles, but there's a dire need to
examine the internalised psychological and emotional struggles of
the experience. The reality of living with the 'divergent body'
deriving from a background of conflict, can at times be
unbearable.
My "This
Body of Mine" campaign explores migrant experiences
through creative voices. I aim to enlighten the public on what it is
genuinely like to endure hardship as a female migrant and share
other artists' stories through my platform.
Through my work, I've received the highest accolade a young
person can achieve for their humanitarian work — The Princess Diana
Legacy Award in 2021, the Y20 Awardee for Diversity and Inclusion,
and also special recognition from The British Citizen Award in
2022.
How do you stay motivated to do this
work?
My advice for others is to remember the end goal. Hard work takes
time and if it was easy, it would be done already.
In my spare time, I love painting
so I do that as much as I can. And I try to get out on a good hike.
I also like listening to Orville Peck, who I recommend for all the
Indie and Country Music lovers out there!
📺 Check
out Ally's video where she shares why activism is important to
her. | 
