Can Art Save Us?

Lady Kitt is a creative activist, artist, maker and drag king, described as ‘an international superstar of feminism.’ You may also encounter Kitt as Captain Privilege or as King Kitt, a terminally confused, toxic male. Kitt’s practice however as a socially engaged artist is crystal clear. From performance art to giant origami, Kitt addresses inequality and inclusivity and creates projects all over the world. We talk about socially ...

Otis Mensah, is a hip-hop poet and master of vulnerable expression. Otis became the City of Sheffield’s first poet laureate and his live performances include Glastonbury Music Festival and opening for numerous artists. Otis breaks down barriers of power, elitism and control including stereotyping and branding. He reminds "people that poetry is meant to be for the people.” – The Guardian. We explore curiosity and courage through ide...

Marije Nie is a classically trained musician and percussive tap dance poet. Marije's Ted Talk features her multi award-winning dance documentary 'One Million Steps’ with Eva Stotz, where she tapped poetic dance steps in the face of an explosive protest with police using tear gas in Gezi Park, Istanbul. Marije is also the recipient of the Dutch Jur Naessens prize for innovation and she has performed with classical orchestras, jazz a...

Mohammed Ali, MBE, is a graffiti artist who works internationally and creates immersive events combining theatre, music and poetry too. Mohammed has a deep respect for heritage, community and the arts and his purpose is clear; he wants to empower communities and celebrate multi-cultural stories around faith and migration. His art work could be understood as a vital community service, one of human connection. Mohammed is changing co...

Hala Sabet, changed her life from being the most senior woman in the multinational oil and gas giant, Shell, in Egypt, to becoming a fine artist. Hala draws on her Egyptian roots to express the universe through sculpture and painting. She was selected by the Royal British Society of Sculptors and the International Art Fair in Egypt, where she also has recently had large scale solo exhibitions. We explore curiosity and courage throu...

Eve Horne, is a singer, songwriter, producer, author, award winning mentor and activist. Eve's journey is a roller coaster from being in 90s 'girl groups' touring with major boy bands, a No. 1 single and millions of streams on Spotify, to a major life change dealing with depression then re-emerging as a producer and co-writer for major artists. Black, gay and a single mum, Eve is also a campaigner for gender equality in the music i...

Antony Penrose, is a photographer, author, rewilder and Co-director of The Penrose Collection and the Lee Miller Archives at Farleys House & Gallery, his childhood home in Sussex. Antony conserves and shares the extraordinary work of his parents. His father Sir Roland Penrose was a surrealist painter, poet, biographer and a major collector of modern art. His mother, Lee Miller, moved from being in front of the camera as a Vogue sup...

Marice Cumber is one of the UK’s most compelling ceramic artists. She presents her own emotions, fears and vulnerabilities in her work and even cowardice shows up, no doubt  kicking and screaming. Her large, over-sized, ceramic cups hold and display her raw  emotions. They share the edgy qualities of German Expressionism by showing inner feelings and embracing the alternative but keeping a healthy focus on individual strength too. ...

Dr. Marwa Al-Sabouni is an award-winning architect considered to be one of the top 50 global thinkers around the world. Marwa elevates the critical role architecture has to play in building peace and preventing conflict through segregation and isolation. She is the author of ‘The Battle for Home’ and ‘Building for Hope' and an international speaker. She also recently co-directed the Brighton festival. We talk about 'uglification' a...

Bobby Brown is a creative producer, artist, manager and rising architect of community arts and equal access, based in the city of Brighton. He's a game changer in youth work supporting creative projects, including music and radio that changes the lives of disadvantaged and excluded young people. He describes himself as a dream weaver, a bridge builder, an optimist and as someone who relied on youth services growing up to make sense...

Maya Youssef is known as the Queen of the Qanun, a virtuoso and composer of this beautiful Middle Eastern instrument described as a flat harp with 78 strings and possibly a descendant of the Egyptian harp. Maya honours Arabic classical music traditions with pathways into Western classical, Latin and jazz music. Her music responds to her vivid dreams and spiritual awakening, war and domestic abuse, love and separation. Maya's music ...

Joe Howell, also known as Maverick Beyond is a photographic artist working with an alternative cyanotype process from which she also creates sculptures. Her identity is firmly rooted in Sunderland, loyal to her working class roots, Jo is standing up to arts elitism by staying put. Despite the barriers against her as a working class woman in the arts, Jo not only supports community groups into creative practice and learning, but she...

Tarek Zaidieh is an exceptionally talented violinist and member of the outstanding Orchestra for Syrian Musicians. The orchestra is described as a celebration of Syrian culture with contagious rhythms, soaring vocals and genius musicianship. Tarek has performed with the orchestra across Europe and at major festivals, including Glastonbury. You may have discovered the orchestra performing with Damon Albarn, famously known as the fro...

Daryl Beeton is a kind of acrobatic superhero. He flies on top of sway poles which includes 25 meters across London's Olympic Stadium. H’s trekked 228 miles across Nicaragua, filmed by the BBC, requiring armed soldiers due to the dangers of bandits and kidnappers. He also performs with the trapeze and could probably hang upside down longer than Batman and he's the creator of joyful and highly imaginative, inclusive theater. Daryl B...

Dr Michael McMillan is an artist, author, playwright and curator. His plays and performance pieces have been produced by the Royal Court Theatre, Channel 4, BBC Radio 4 Drama and across the UK. He’s a Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Arts, London and an Associate Lecturer, teaching Cultural & Historical Studies at the London College of Fashion. Michael was born to immigrant parents from St Vincent and...

Both BBC Words First Finalists, Billie Meredith is a poet and performer and Saf-S2E is a poet and rapper and they are active members of Young Identity. Recognised as some of the UK’s best emerging talent, they are involved in the Cities Untold project, a partnership between Young Identity, the Manchester Literature Festival and Danish literature festivals. Their commissions will be inspired by the secrets and untold narratives of a...

Tom Delahunt, the hobo poet, is an award-winning academic and an advanced nurse practitioner with years of experience in intensive and emergency care. In 2019 he was awarded Most Innovative Teacher of the Year, by the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards, this was in recognition of his use of poetry to support nursing students dealing with trauma. Tom created the blog Poetic Nursing Heart and he also advocates creating a safe ...

Otis Mensah is the first hip-hop poet to be awarded a poet laureate title in the UK by the City of Sheffield.  Influenced by the expressive freedom of Jazz, Otis documents his journeys of introspection through vulnerable expression that speaks to racial identity, masculinity, loneliness and being othered. He has had numerous commissions and live performances include the Glastonbury Music Festival. His poetry collection, Metamorphos...

Cherry Smyth is an Irish writer and poet who lives in London. In 2022 Cherry was nominated as a Fellow for the Royal Society of Literature and she is Associate Professor in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Greenwich. Critically acclaimed, Cherry has had four poetry collections published and a debut novel, Hold Still. Her current work, If the River is Hidden, is a collaboration with Craig Jordan Baker. This has als...