Poets’ Gift
A project in collaboration with Amina Atiq & 20 Stories High. The idea sparked a conversation around creating a creative space for Young Muslim people in Liverpool.
Poet’s Gift engaged with young people in Liverpool with diverse Muslim backgrounds through a series of workshops. These provided a safe space for the group to express themselves; to explore conversations about family, care, belonging, and community; and to create work that shows their lives beyond stereotypes.
Muslim Youth-led.
-
![]()
Nadia Anim
Associate Artist
Theatre maker and facilitator raised in Liverpool where she is currently based. Growing up with many interests Nadia is able to use her love for performance, planning and art creating to tell stories of non-binary culture, often using music and movement.
-
![]()
Nadina Ali
Graphic Designer
Originally from Marseille, Nadina Ali is a London based graphic artist with a love for colour and bold typography. Her work is centred on creating empowering messages around social justice and representation. She also aims to amplify the voices of under-represented people and challenge the status quo through her art.
-
![]()
Muhammad Elmi
Engagement & Pastoral support worker
Formerly a youth worker & community champion - is currently working on a piece of research looking at the possible links between community activism and poor mental health. Mo has also been able to contribute to projects such as the Poet’s Gift, focusing on the voices of young Muslim Scousers.
Mo’s passion is in addressing health inequalities in our city and as a result is a key contributor to the Tackling Racial Inequality working group, led by Central Liverpool Primary Care Network. On a more local level, Mo is a trustee for @MSAGL8 and contributes to interpretation & translation for a number of projects in both the Arabic & Somali language.
-
![]()
Amina Atiq
Lead Artist
Yemeni poet, performance artist, creative practitioner & award-winning community activist. BBC Words First Finalist 2019 & Young Associate & Anti-racism group member for Curious Minds. Artist fellowship of DadaFest, Weston Jerwood Creative programme & Social Cohesion Fellow of Humboldt Foundation Residency 2022.
Internal Engagement
Muhammad Elmi & Amina visited the Liverpool Arabic Centre run by Najeeb and Nada at Harthill Centre. We spoke to the young people & their parents. The response to the project was positive. Young people were curious & excited.
Eternal engagement with the Muslim community in Liverpool was crucial to Poets’ Gift. Muhammed’s role was to work alongside 20SH engagement team & to provide an insightful voice to the project’s needs. The local Muslim community know Muhammad; he has worked in the community on various projects in the past. Trust between our key local communities and projects that represent their voices is vital we bring those of vast experience and cultural awareness to the forefront of the project.
Al-Ghazali Multicultural Centre
We visited our old Arabic-Islamic school- this took me back to my early years of weekend school. Yes, weekend school!
Leyla Mashjari, Parent Education Officer was keen we visit & deliver a Poets’ Gift one-off workshop with the young people. We had a successful turnout & the young people produced their inspired Al-Ghazal formed poem, titled ‘Salaam’ (peace)
Endless Exciting Meetings.
One of many: Cheeky zoom screenshot- selfie!
In the early stages of this project as Lead artist, I expressed to 20SH that I would love to shadow their production process BUT then they came with an exciting offer to co-produce the project alongside Lucy & Leanne.
Keith supported the project as a dramaturge. We both worked on the voice and tone of the writing. This was the first time I had the opportunity for another creative & writer to review my writing.
20SH not only delivered this project with care and sensitivity but they actively listened. As a freelance artist for the last 10 years, it has been a life-changing. I have only grown from this experience- I will take all my learning to my next creative adventures.
Workshops.
Creative Meet
What Muslim Young People Are Saying
When I search for people, I don’t look for my community that look like me, I look for goodness first. When I find goodness in people, I feel like I reached home.
— Participant 1
I feel lost and torn between my identity. I am Muslim first but I am everything more too. But what do people see?
— Participant 2
I am like a flying bird. This is what my freedom looks like
— Participant 3
Bus Stop Launch.
The Bus stop.
Lodge Lane: Outside the Library
Sharing Our Story Online
Local journalists shared the story of Poets’ Gift to a wider audience, locally and nationally; to those who can’t access the workshops, or view the public-poetry art. Amna Akram approached myself through twitter, she followed our journey to the end, with an invitation to the launch of the public art.
It is important that the project has a story of its own online. The response from the public has been positive and encouraging. We have loved our online friends engage with the project with curiosity.
This is the only beginning for Poets Gift.
As a Muslim women in the creative & cultural sector I only hope this project inspires many orgainsations to engage with their local muslim youth and community. We exist but our truthful voices are underrepresented. Time for change
When we feel we have lost hope we may find inspiration in poetry. This is an unspoken story finding a place in an unturned page, this is our long-lost community love -story that returns to our L8 streets. Sometimes our journeys are untold and forgotten. When we feel fear, we will find home in our words of hope. This is an open road to new journeys
A gift from us to you
— Poets Gift
