Confined But Creative
Responses to Covid-19
Muna Ali
Simply Muna is all about finding happiness in the simplest things in life. How we can flourish as human beings in our wellbeing. In Simply Muna’s podcast. Muna likes to do this by focusing more on our potential as individuals rather than the shortcomings. Life is full of lessons and growth, and Simply Muna’s podcast is a journey of doing this the most wholesome way.
Muna is a Psychology graduate working in mental health.
Ayan Aden
An Avid community activist that is keen on ensuring that leadership and governance is more inclusive and reflective of the West Midlands that we see today. Ayan has been an advocate for harnessing the voice and power of the youth as she is the former Vice President of Somali Youth For Integrity Midlands '20 , Board Member of the YCA and Vice President of Aston Somali Society. When not in lectures or meetings, Ayan is often seen on the stage showcasing her spoken word art centred on empowerment. Notable performances include opening up Somali Week Festival 2019, Brum Youth Trends 2019 and performing in front of HS2 Stakeholders.
Hayaat Abdi-Aynab
‘When I pondered on the words ‘confined but creative’ my inspiration led me to contemplate on the many lives we lost during this period of confinement. I can only imagine the distress that stems from losing the pillars of your life & I hope that every one affected finds the strength and willpower to continue their journey in life.’
Hayaat is a secondary English teacher with a passion for the written word. She finds her escape by putting pen to paper and is happiest when she’s typing away on her blog.
Zeinab Mohamed
Bio:
I have always loved to create. Cake decorating, fashion, henna art and graphic design are but a few of the creative endeavours I have pursued over the years.
However, since becoming a teacher 5 years ago, I put my artistic projects on the back-burner. It was only through the encouragement of close friends, the Instagram art community and ample time at home due to the recent COVID outbreak that stirred my passions once more. After many years of pondering on it, I went ahead and created an art page.
The best way I could describe my art is that it is forever in flux. I go through various phases of inspiration where I am inclined to draw or paint in a specific style or switch my focus from traditional to digital art.
If there is one thing I find myself inspired by time and time again though, it is the beauty that spans different cultural eras and traditions around the world. There is beauty everywhere I look, and sometimes it’s difficult to streamline my thoughts and produce work focussed on one particular theme. My art gallery is testament to this.
Intisar yusuf
Intisar Yusuf is a project manager for a frontline community organisation. She loves using writing and storytelling as a form of expression. She's particularly enthusiastic about film- making.
SAwiya Ali
Sawiya Ali is a blogger and freelance writer, based in London. She enjoys reflecting on real experiences and writing emotive stories. Sawiya hopes to one day become an author of her own book.
Hamidha Awshan
Aspiring teenage poet. Creating poetry and spoken word with a want to bring to light the beauty and power in words and art.
About the poem: Follows a story of a boy and his Hoyo, who are both silently struggling with their own mental health but never talk about it due to such topics being taboo in the Somali community.
Naima JApan
Naima aka Naima Japan, a writer and poet from Birmingham. Uses her website & Instagram page as a source of empowerment for herself & others. Through her poems empowering Muslim women is the core. Writing motivational content from a Muslim girls perspective.
Yasin Hassan
Yasin Hassan is a self-taught videographer and photographer who is well versed in editing, cinematography and the like. Growing up in East London, Yasin was captured by the look of the urban lifestyle, from sunsets amidst skyscrapers and trees growing out of the concrete, he began to enhance his passions by building on his portfolio by working with people in sports and fashion.
Fathiya saleh
Fathiya’s written piece Hooyo Macaan/childhood nostalgia was inspired by a joke she told on stage at this years Discovery talkshow hosted earlier this year by the wonderful Dabiri group (@dabirigroup).
Naima Elmi
Naima Elmi was raised in London and has been writing poetry for over a decade. She has recently compiled her work in her first book Letters on my tongue which is available on Amazon.
Ashrah suudy
Ashrah Suudy is a 20-year-old freelance photographer living in Cardiff.
“‘East in Colour’ was my first photographic series I completed; a project dedicated to my Somali Culture and was captured around Cardiff. I set out to make a series that truly signified my identity, a narrative I would be proud to showcase. The focal point of ‘East In Colour’ was focussed on the Dirac, a Somali garment that is recognised for it’s assortment of colours and patterns.
To now, using photography as a medium to showcase these garments and my culture in front and behind the lens is something I am deeply proud about. A short film adaption of ‘East in Colour’ titled ‘In a Room full of Sisters’ has been commissioned by BBC Arts, BBC Wales, Ffilm Cymru and the Art Council of Wales which I can’t wait for people to see once completed. "
Baar Hirsi
Baar Hersi is an Associate Senior Leader at an inner London school, she has 13 years’ experience in education. She is also an educational advocate, helping Somali parents navigate the school systems. Outside of education, Baar is a radio host, a youtuber, a presenter and has hosted/organised many events celebrating Somali culture. Baar also has a proven track record of developing mentoring programmes for young Somali girls.
Naima Elmi
Naima Elmi is a 24 year old photographer & Poet based in London.
“A London based photographer capturing everything I love! One thing I’ve had the pleasure of capturing is black and brown joy and beauty. If two people can be moved differently by the same image, I’ve done my job.”
Maryan Jacayel
Maryan Jacayel has been writing for over 15 years. She is an established Somali artist and her voice is well known across the world. She has performed at many weddings and events over the years and has written a heart warming piece about the situation with Covid-19.
Hafza Yusuf
Hafza Yusuf is a Somali-British textile designer, art educator and founder of Hafza Studio. Her love for art and her rich culture led her to pursue a career in textile design, which became a way for her to celebrate the beauty of the Somali culture. The traditional ‘hido iyo dhaqan’ fabric inspired her recent collection.
Hafza believes in giving back to the community; she is a passionate advocate for using art as a way of healing and for personal and creative development. She started volunteering her time to teach art and textiles to Somali women in her local community. Hafza’s “Textiles helping Somali women explore their past” workshops have been highlighted by various international media outlets, such as the BBC, Inews and AFP, garnering a lot of positive attention for her work.
Ibrahim Sincere
Ibrahim Sincere is an independent 26-year-old rapper from London, telling gritty stories of crime, poverty, social justice and the search for inner-peace which are equally as ugly as they are beautiful.
Sagal Farah
Sagal Gabay is a London based spoken word poet who writes about issues such as immigration, youth knife crime and gender equality.
Sagal is a published poet and has also had her work appear in exhibitions. She has performed in theatre, festivals, City Hall and at the 2018 Somali Week Festival that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, opened.
What inspired my poem
This poem was inspired by the Thursdays during the lockdown where everyone in the UK would clap for the NHS. Although it was a pointless act that should have been replaced by an actual pay rise for the NHS staff, it’s hard to deny how uplifting it was regardless. It was the only day of the week where the lockdown didn’t feel as lonely and as bleak. Witnessing the sense of life return to my neighbourhood was refreshing. In times like this, it can be the small things that make a world of difference.
Nasra Mohamed
Nasra is a multidisciplinary artist and a new mother who has been writing poetry for years aswell as producing visual art. Alot of her art work has been used as a healing mechanism during the most difficult parts of her life. Nasra loves poetry even more now that she has a daughter and she can’t wait to read them to her when she is older.
Jibreel Elmi
Jibreel Elmi is eleven years old He enjoys writing & He likes to read and play video games. Our Youngest artist of the week has submitted his comedic entry about his experience with Quarantine.
Sulego Said
Sulego Said is a 23 year old ‘photographer’ based in Birmingham. The main mediums she works on are Photoshop and Photofox.
“Even though i don’t have a key theme to my work I use colours and shadows to try and portray emotions”
Rashid Elmi
Rashid is a 13 years old and from Sheffield. He enjoys writing & He likes to read and play video games. His reading helps with his ideas when it comes to writing. When he grows up he wants to be a lawyer in the field of medicine, or he wants to be involved in the research and development of new medicines especially antibiotics since he believes we are running out of ways to fight bacteria.
Faiza Ahmed
Faiza is a photographer based in Birmingham. She loves telling a poem through her work which she hope reaches you all. She hopes that her photographs and art is able to bring you peace and positivity in your life.
Deqa M abdi
Deqa was raised in London, she’s a poet and a passionate story teller. She is a former interpreter, mother of 3 and has a degree in Education, Culture and Society. Deqa has shared her work on multiple online platforms and loves writing, especially about culture and identity. She is vastly inspired by her early childhood which was spent as a nomad.
“The poem was inspired by my ever-present longing for home (Somalia). I was inspired to write this poem to, in a way, hold on to precious memories that are slipping through my fingers as the years go by and as a homage to the beautiful nomadic lifestyle which I was born into. ”
Abdulrizack Farah
Abdulrizack Farah Lives and works in London He is a young poet and comedian who does stand up comedy and performs. He loves to represent the Somali culture including the language the stories and the life of the nomads! He is always learning more by sitting down with the older generation and having consistent conversations about the culture.
rahma hassan
Rahma Hassan is a writer who was born and raised in London. In her writing, she likes to find the extraordinary in the everyday. She achieved a First-Class Honours in English Literature and Creative Writing in 2019, and is currently doing an MA in Film Studies. Her work has been published in student anthologies The Unseen and RiPPLE 2020. She is working on her first novel that explores themes of displacement and belonging.
“This poem is about the pursuit to stay connected. It was inspired by the Somali proverb - laba kala bariday kala war la’. This translates to: if two people spend a night far from each other, neither of them knows how the other is now. I have relatives all over the world and the proverb made me think about how we try to keep in contact despite the distance. Thanks to technology, the distance feels shorter these days. It is true that people who are apart are unaware about each other. However, when we find out news from family members, it has a ripple effect across the globe and it feels like we’re all together.”
Ahmed Diria
Meddy is the latest academy graduate to showcase his skills across Europe since leaving the 'Nation of Poets' that is the motherland. Now an East London native, he has built a steady collection of politically-charged pieces that carry his trademark wordplay and subtle storytelling. On his visual debut, Freshie, he attempts to epitomise the plight of first-generation immigrants as they acclimatise to the British education system and the resistance that comes with.
“This piece was inspired by my personal experiences growing up around people from all walks of life who shared a common goal of climbing out of their working-class label. As a result, in their pursuit of a better lifestyle, they can sometimes whitewash their identity as they adapt to their new British values and soon start to forget where they come from altogether. Those who suffer most are usually the children who inherit an identity crisis trying to balance both cultures. As a writer, this poem is an expose on some of the ignorant viewpoints these individuals can take as they distance themselves from their neighbours to appeal to a certain demographic that could serve to help them improve their socio-economic status. ”
Sumaya Muse
SUMAYA MUSE IS A SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT THAT LIVES IN LONDON. SHE IS FIFTEEN AND HAS A PASSION FOR WRITING STORIES PRIMARILY IN THE GENRE-HORROR. ALTHOUGH, CORONA STYLE WEDDING, IS HER FIRST HUMOROUS PIECE TO BRING LIGHT TO THE SOMALI COMMUNITY. SHE AIMS TO BECOME AN AUTHOR ONE DAY ALONGSIDE A CAREER IN MEDICINE.
Mohamed Warsame
Mohamed Warsame Is a Somali-German IT professional currently based in London. From When he was 14 years old, He was engaged in the art of turning words into rhymes with meaning, initially in the form of rap music which later, turned written word and decided to pursue prose and poetry writing as a side hustle.
“it was quite painful to be cut off from family and friends, living alone in isolation and what not, yet still shine in some way.
That is when it dawned on me that physical imprisonment/restriction often brings forth the true spirit of people. And as Somalis, being a nation of poetry and oral tradition, we kinda ended up gravitating back towards our very nature.”
Hafsa Abdiqadir
HAFSA ABDIQADIR, A RECENT MASTERS GRADUATE. SHE HAS BEEN WRITING POETRY SINCE SHE WAS 11. SHE WENT TO A BOONA MOHAMED POETRY EVENT AND THAT SPRUNG THE BRIDGING OF HER LOVE FOR POETRY.
“As for the video regarding the death of George Floyd, I decided that with my love for poetry and talent, it was my duty to express myself and at the same time raise awareness of what is happening to black people. It came from a place of sensitivity and I will keep on writing on any issues that I feel is important!”
Jasmine Kahlia
Jasmine Kahlia is a multidisciplinary artist. Jasmine Co-ordinates the design, liaison and production for live performance pieces, along with developing the artistic concepts and aesthetic of the work. Since 2016, Jasmine Kahlia has done four exhibitions and live exhibitions at RICH MIX.
Mowlid Aden
Mowlid Aden is an established artist, poet, song writer and storyteller. Mowlid's art work mainly focuses on both the current and previous Somali culture in many ways. Mowlid is based in Birmingham, UK.
Ayouni Hassan
Ayouni Hassan was raised in Sweden but has lived in the UK for more than a decade. She is into graphic art, abstract paintings and all of that are some form of meditation for her. When she recreates art, she feels that it tells its own story.
“For me I’ve always been into art from a young age, seeing things more than what they are makes me feel connected to it. So when I recreate a picture that I’ve come across on google or Instagram or wherever, I notice there’s some form of connection as if it’s speaking to me and from there my mind just runs with creativity as if it’s about to burst with colours, emotions and so on. With this piece of art I felt some form of loneliness in his eyes as if he didn’t belong and wishing for something to make him feel whole but at the same time he had this proudness of his heritage through his accessorise and pride of showing it off.”
Abadir Hashi
Abadir Hashi, is an architectural assistant from London and a recent graduate from Royal College of Art in MA Architecture. He was awarded the Best Urban Intervention Prize for Show 2019 for my final project titled ‘The Fragile Kilometre’ which challenged the rebuilding efforts in Somalia by proposing a 2000 km landscape that crosses multiple social, environmental and narrative territories. He is also a freelance graphic designer founding Hashi Designs which does logos and branding.
Poem: We are losing a generation
We are losing a generation.
Fought so many battles to carry us here, against currents, against bullets.
We are losing freedom fighters.
When your country is in war and chaos, when mothers fight and fight to run, to flee for safety, for children, for legacy.
We are losing foundations.
Spiritual souls who pray to never stop praying for you, unconditional love, unconditional blessings.
We are losing a generation, in this pandemic, in this new decade, in this lockdown.
We are losing a generation.
“ This poem and canvas was inspired by seeing so many of our older generation passing away in this pandemic. The pain of being in a lockdown and able to come together and mourn as a community was heartbreaking.
Everyday there will be a someone tweeting about an uncle, a mother or a father whose lost their battle. Unfortunately, my own mother passed away last April and this is dedicated to her fight to never give up, to be strong no matter what and have faith above all else. ”
Asmaa Jama
Asmaa Jama is a danish born Somali poet and artist. Her work has been published in print and online, in places like The Good Journal, Popshot Magazine, and Ambit. Most recently, she was a resident at In Between Time's Creative Exchange Lab.
“ I was thinking about ancestors and how they can remain as spirits/ghosts/hauntings. An cirfiid, is a ghost, I think a malevolent one. The word also sounded to me like cir fayd, ‘pull back/reveal sky’, which is also what a ghost is. I don’t think I would have been able to come to this translation, if I was fluent in Somali. So, I was also trying to think about what coming to language as an outsider, can mean also”
Ibrahim Hirsi
Ibrahim Hirsi is a student, writer and peer researcher for the Centre for Mental Health. A digital Somali cultural archivist and independent researcher he is also the co-founder of the Somali arts collective WaaberiPhone. Ibrahim is a part of Lightpost, a young, black, male theatre company based in Birmingham. His work has been performed as part of the Bedlam Mental Health Festival and has been part of the DearAyeeyo roundhouse exhibition.
“The inspiration from this song were from 2 themes, Nabsi and Rizq, that are common in Xabiibo Xasans songs and the music that Axmed Rabsha x Hadraawi have worked on together. These 2 ideas have given me a lot of comfort in this quarantine and because I’ve not been worrying about what could’ve been, I’ve been able to explore different things. This particular poem is me looking at how quarantine has benefited me spiritually and the fact that I’m able to now spend more time with immediate family. However I’ve tried to stay true to myself and write about how it’s not all been good and some, relatively minor to be honest, difficulties I’ve felt in this situation.”