Liberation through knowledge: what street art, Nano Nagle, and the future of Star have in common
An artwork I love is in Tunisia; spanned across a textured wall is the eye-catching calligraphy of French-Tunisian artist, eL Seed. The bold Arabic graffiti reads ‘Liberation through knowledge’, a sentiment that immediately resonated with me, and remains relevant today particularly (though by no means exclusively) for women and girls. Countries that limit education to men find women disproportionally caught in cycles of mistreatment, violence, and poverty. In contrast, a failsafe way to create positive change in any society is to empower and educate its women. Such ‘liberation through knowledge’ echoes the ethos of Star, and I suspect Nano Nagle – a maverick who educated the underprivileged of Ireland despite legal prohibitions at the time – would have loved eL Seed’s street art as well.
As geeky as it sounds, I remember walking the corridors of school and identifying as a learner at Star. Mum was a Star girl herself (in the 1950’s), and my sister Kate and I imagined we’d follow suit. But in our earliest years at Star our family experienced sudden financial insecurity in what felt like, overnight. Mum was five years younger than I am now, when she was forced to adapt to life without her husband of 20 years, without a home for herself and four children, and without access to paid work due to career-ending disability. We’re still not sure how she held it all together – but we know that Star played a role.
Despite our new circumstances, Mum was reassured that Kate and I would always be welcome at Star. With government assistance and support from the Bursary Fund, the ripple effect was a sense of belonging, and a good understanding of the connection between education, liberation, and the potential to revive financial freedom and give back over time – very Nano Nagle! We both enjoyed our time at Star and have great mates we made and remain connected to. We’ve carved out valuable careers and continue to contribute to Star through the Bursary Fund and various activities associated with our family’s next generation of Star women – my daughter Zara (currently in Yr 11) and our nieces Lara and Emma Box (recently graduated in 2024 and 2025).
Beyond ‘Liberation through knowledge’ I’ve since discovered another masterpiece of eL Seed’s! Near a coastal port in Tunisia his calligraphy reads ‘The sea is not a gift from our parents, but a loan from our children’. It’s a cracking invitation to conceive of ourselves as Ancestors, and not just Descendants. Ancestors who face forward and prioritise the generations to come. The Bursary Fund at Star offers a tangible, impactful way to create meaningful change into the future. And if you’re wondering whether it makes an actual difference, Kate and I can vouch that it does :).
Join us on Giving Day as ancestors of Star.
With love and cheers, Anna Box (1992)
