Welcome to Kayd Somali Arts & Culture
Preserving our community’s stories and cultural heritage through art, Films, Poetry and collaborative archiving.
What’s On
SOMALI WEEK FESTIVAL 2026
Join Jihan Hersi for a hands-on workshop exploring sustainable Somali fashion through heritage, creativity, and design. Inspired by our Making Home: Art in Motion theme, the session introduces eco-friendly materials, including upcycled fabrics and plant-based dyes, alongside simple pattern-making and stitching techniques rooted in Somali clothing traditions. Participants will experiment with sustainable textile methods and create a small accessory or patch using reclaimed fabric off-cuts.Blending a short talk with interactive activities, the workshop encourages creative thinking around fashion, sustainability, and cultural heritage.
Join us for an exclusive “sneak peek” preview listening of a unique operatic musical work, Arraweelo, a libretto by Rebecca Örtman with music by Jonas Dominique. The work is rooted in the Somali oral storytelling tradition and explores themes of resistance, identity, and freedom. In the libretto, Rebecca Örtman draws on interviews with Somali women and men through oral storytelling traditions, as well as texts by Nadifa Mohamed, Nuruddin Farah, and the poet Hadraawi. After the show, stay for a thought-provoking discussion exploring cross-cultural productions and the power of Somali storytelling across diverse stages and platforms. The Arraweelo team will discuss the process of bringing Arrawello’s story to the opera stage, and the inspiration they have taken from Somali storytelling practices, interviews, and creative works. Playwright and director Rebecca Örtman will be joined by acclaimed Somali playwrights Maryam Garad and Hadsan Mohamud for a lively conversation about creating work that resonates across cultures, the opportunities and challenges of bringing Somali stories to new audiences, and the importance of authentic representation. The event will be moderated by Dr. Christina Woolner.
Arraweelo is an artistic project that explores the meeting point between traditional Somali storytelling and contemporary music drama. The sneak peek listening will feature performances by Sanna Gibbs (soprano), Maryam Garad (actor), Abdirahman Farah (oud), Karin Haglund (pianist) and Jonas Dominique (double bass), joined by set designer Annika Bromberg.
Kayd is delighted to present an evening of stand-up comedy as part of Somali Week Festival 2026, featuring some of the finest Somali comedy talent. This special event brings together a stellar lineup for an unforgettable evening of laughter, storytelling, and cultural humour.
The lineup features Naif Mohammed, Khalid Raheem, and Prince Abdi, with Selam Amare hosting the evening.
Following the comedy show, there will be a screening of Kudaal, a powerful short film inspired by Aar Maanta’s influential song Tahriib, which featured in the UNHCR Dangerous Crossings campaign. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and an intimate live acoustic performance featuring the Somali oud.
Award-winning Somali artist Aar Maanta is one of the leading voices in contemporary Somali music, creating acclaimed work that bridges tradition and modern storytelling through music and film.
His groundbreaking children’s project, Ubadkaa Mudnaanta Leh (Children Have Priority), is recognised as one of the world’s first bilingual Somali–English children’s albums. The album was co-written with Professor Said Salah, whom we are proud to honour at this year’s Somali Week Festival.
Galool Somali Children’s Entertainment
Date: Sunday, 18 October 2026 | Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Oxford House
Price: Free
A lively afternoon of storytelling, music, and hands-on activities for kids, led by Somali children’s publisher and entertainer Galool. Fun for all ages — perfect for families wanting to pass on Somali language and culture to the next generation.
Sunday 18th October 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Price: Free
Language: English
Join us for the official launch of Somalis in Government (SiG), a new professional network connecting Somali professionals working across government, public service and public policy.
As part of Somali Week Festival 2026, this flagship event brings together some of the most accomplished Somali voices in public life for an evening of conversation, connection and community. Through an engaging panel discussion, senior leaders from across government, politics and public service will share candid reflections on leadership, ambition, representation and the experiences that have shaped their journeys.
Inspired by this year's Making Home theme, the discussion will explore what it means not only to enter the institutions that shape our society, but to thrive within them and help shape their future. The conversation will move beyond career milestones to explore identity, belonging, influence and the importance of opening doors for the next generation.
The event will then transition into a dedicated networking reception, creating space for established leaders, mid-career professionals, students and aspiring public servants to connect across generations, exchange ideas and build lasting professional relationships. Whether you are looking for inspiration, mentorship, new connections or simply to meet others working across public life, this is an opportunity to become part of a growing community committed to supporting Somali excellence in public service.
Featuring a distinguished panel of Somali leaders from across government and public life, this promises to be one of the first opportunities to bring together such a broad cross-section of Somali professionals in one room. Speaker announcements will follow.
Price: £5
Language: Somali
Kayd Somali Arts and Culture invites you to a special event featuring jaantyo (performances) by renowned Somali poets, including Cabdirisaaq Xaamud Caydiid (Jaylaani), Cabdinasir Bidixo, Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf, Ibraahim Xagar and Buurmaax.
Cabdirisaaq Xaamud Caydiid (Jaylaani) was born in Hargeisa in the mid-1980s. He comes from an artistic family, with both parents having strong connections to Somali arts and culture. He is a prominent member of the Xiddigaha Geeska Group, a collective whose name is recognised in households across Somali-inhabited regions. His work is widely known and has been performed by celebrated singers such as BK, Abdirisaq Anshax, Asma Love, and others.
Cabdinasir Bidixo is a poet, writer, and songwriter based in London. He is known for his creative work in Somali literature and music, where his poetry and lyrics reflect culture, emotion, and everyday life. His recent book is titled “Idishaye Ha II Celin,” which showcases his passion for storytelling and poetic expression. In addition to his writing, Cabdinasir has written well-known songs performed by popular Somali singers, including Qamar Suugani. Through both literature and music, he continues to contribute to the growth and preservation of Somali art and culture.
Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is a leading poet in the Somali diaspora, known for her powerful work on war and displacement. Living in the UK for over 25 years after fleeing the Somali Civil War, she writes in traditional Somali forms such as the gabay while addressing contemporary issues. Her collection The Sea-Migrations was named The Sunday Times Poetry Book of the Year in 2018.
Buurmaax is a London-based Somali poet, songwriter, educator and cultural activist whose work explores language, identity and the power of storytelling within the Somali diaspora.
Ibraahim Xagar is a Somali poet, lyricist and abwaan whose work spans poetry, music and contemporary Somali cultural expression. Known for both spoken poetry and lyricism, Xagar’s verses have also been adapted into Somali music. His work draws on the depth of Somali oral and poetic traditions while engaging with contemporary themes and audiences across the diaspora.
Sunday 18th October 2026
Venue: Oxford House
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Price: £5
Language: Somali / English
Kayd invites you to the launch of The Key to the Human Game by Ali Jama. Ali Jama is a Somali-Australian author and entrepreneur whose work explores human nature, behaviour, and personal change. Having grown up during the war in Somaliland and later influenced by the wisdom of his great-grandmother, Ali developed a lifelong interest in understanding why people and communities repeat the same patterns.
With a background in chemical engineering, financial planning, lending, and entrepreneurship, Ali observed how human behaviour is shaped by pressure, habits, and environment. These experiences inspired his first book, The Key to the Human Game — a practical exploration of how patterns are formed, reinforced, and changed.
The event host is Zahra Ahmed. Zahra has been a solicitor since 2012, she is partner at Miya Solicitors, and community champion.
Price: £5
Language: Somali
Kayd Somali Arts and Culture invites you to a special literary event featuring Rashid Sheikh Abdullahi, also known as Rashid Gadwayne. The event will highlight his extensive body of work and his significant contributions to Somali literature, criticism, and intellectual thought. Rashid Sheikh Abdullahi is a renowned literary critic and thinker whose work explores Somali identity, history, politics, and culture. His latest book, Qaran iyo Qabiil (Nation and Clan), published in 2018, offers a critical examination of nationalism, clan structures, and their impact on Somali society. This event will include a discussion of his writings, reflections on the role of literature in shaping social and political consciousness, and an opportunity for audience engagement through questions and dialogue.
The event will be hosted by Abdisalan Hereri. Hereri is a veteran Somali journalist, media personality, and broadcaster whose career spans several decades. Widely recognized across the Somali-speaking world, he is known for his in-depth interviews, historical features, and cultural reporting. He currently produces digital content through his platform, Hereri Media.
Almas Art Foundation, in partnership with Kayd and with the support of SAAFI, warmly invites you to a special screening of Lifeline. Join us for an inspiring evening featuring Lifeline, the acclaimed debut feature film by award-winning filmmaker Ilhan Abdullahi. Lifeline explores the complexities of community care and the film follows a young Somali woman, who works as a youth worker and is assigned to a high-stakes case that forces her to confront her past in order to reconnect with her community.
This will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Ilhan Abdullahi.
Kayd invites you to Somali Book Day, which transforms into an evening book fair celebrating Somali literature, publishing, and storytelling. Throughout the evening, Somali-authored books will be available to browse and purchase, alongside book signings and informal conversations with writers and publishers. All Somali writers and publishers are welcome to join.
The event will be hosted by Boodhari Warsame, an independent researcher, literary translator (Somali-English), writer and teacher.
A short poem-film exploring Somalinimo and a sense of home across Sheffield, Bristol and London.
In collaboration with the Anglo-Somali Society, the University of Manchester, York St. John University and SAAFI, Kayd Somali Arts & Culture kindly invites you to an evening in two parts: new research on Somali communities and care, followed by the premiere of a short poem-film and panel discussion on the film.
Part one:
Research done in the partnership between York St John University and SAAFI, will be presented by Dr Anita Atwal will showcase findings from research co-produced with Somali communities on how occupational therapy can become more accessible, equitable and culturally responsive. Presented by Professor Anita Atwal of York St John University, the research highlights the diversity of Somali perspectives and the importance of understanding language, faith, family, community and individual needs when shaping health and social care.
Part two: The premiere of ‘Blue Lines’
A short poem-film about Somali life in three UK cities: Sheffield, Bristol and London.
‘Blue Lines’ is the creative output of a research project led by the University of Manchester, made with a team of Somali-heritage creatives: poets Anzal Omar, Asmaa Jama and Ibrahim Hirsi, Abdillahi Haybe and film-maker Osman Jama. The project set out to understand how Somali communities experience a ‘sense of home’ in the UK, and how each city shapes that experience differently.
Drawing on conversations with more than one hundred people, three poets, one from each city, wrote new work capturing a Somali sense of home in UK urban life. Their three poems were then brought together with stunning visuals to create an original poem-film.
Stay for the post-screening discussion with the poets, the film-maker and members of the research team from the University of Manchester.
Kayd is pleased to invite you to an academic event featuring a distinguished panel of authors who will share insights into their work and research. The discussion will explore a range of themes, including home, identity, diaspora, race, language, and culture. The event will highlight the work of Dr. Nuur Hassan, Faiza Abdulkadir, Ahmed Abdi, and Warda Farah, offering an engaging opportunity to reflect on contemporary scholarship, literature, and lived experien10ces. Following the event, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase books and have them signed by the authors.
Kayd invites you to the launch of A Brief History of Formal Education in the British Somaliland Protectorate (1884–1960) by Dr. Abdullahi Diiriye, published this year. This essential work offers a rare and meticulously researched insight into the foundational era of modern education in Somaliland.
Dr. Abdullahi Diiriye is a distinguished public health professional and former World Health Organization (WHO) expert. He served with the WHO from 1982 to 1994 and continued as an international WHO consultant across multiple countries until 2006.
The session will be chaired by Dr. Jama Musse Jama, Director of the Redsea Cultural Foundation and founding director and annual organiser of the Hargeysa International Book Fair in Hargeysa, Somaliland. Dr. Jama Musse is an ethnomathematician, scholar, and writer of both academic and non-academic works.
Price: £10
Language: English
As part of Somali Week Festival 2026 and this year’s theme, Making Home, Kayd Somali Arts & Culture presents an evening exploring how Somali entrepreneurs are building businesses, creating opportunities and strengthening communities across the diaspora and back home.
Bringing together voices from technology, community-building, hospitality, hair and beauty, the panel will share honest experiences of starting and growing a business. The conversation will explore the importance of mentorship and professional networks, the challenges founders face, and how entrepreneurs can balance ambition with family, wellbeing and wider responsibilities.
The panel features Jibril Qorane and Guleed Afhakame, co-founders of The Somali Circle, a community connecting and supporting Somali entrepreneurs. Their work includes The Goat Herders, a pitch competition inspired by Somali traditions of trade and negotiation, which gives founders opportunities to present their ideas and connect with investors, mentors and collaborators. They will be joined by Liban Ibrahim, owner of Somali restaurant Sabib’s, and Hinda Ismail, an entrepreneur working in the hair and beauty sector. Together, they will discuss how cultural knowledge, innovation and collective support can help the next generation of Somali businesses grow.
Chaired by Samira Musa, the discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.
In this special session, participants will be invited to explore the relationship between neurodiversity and the creative process. Combining discussion with practical reflection, this workshop will consider how neurodivergent ways of thinking, sensing, and communicating can shape artistic practice, and how creativity can open new ways of understanding language, learning, and expression.
Led by award-winning writer, musician, and educator Samatar Elmi, the session will offer participants space to reflect on their own creative processes while engaging broader questions of language, access, identity, and making. There will be three guided writing activities to generate new materials, with plenty of take-home prompts to deepen exploration. Participants are also invited to showcase their work-in-progress in the open mic night taking place immediately after the workshop.
Price: £4
Language: English/ All welcome
In collaboration with Inspyre, The Poetry Translation Centre and Kayd Somali Arts & Culture present Speak It Into Being — an evening of poetry, storytelling, and live performance celebrating emerging voices.
Inspired by Somalis’ rich oral tradition, where poetry and storytelling preserve history, identity, and collective memory, the event invites young creatives to share original work exploring this year’s theme: Making Home. Through poetry, spoken word, storytelling, and performance, participants will reflect on belonging, movement, and creating between spaces.
Part performance, part storytelling, and part friendly competition, the evening centres the power of taking the mic to speak, reflect, and connect. The event concludes with audience engagement and informal feedback in a space designed for both listening and sharing.
Join us for an evening celebrating Nuruddin Farah on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Widely regarded as one of the most influential African novelists of our time, Nuruddin Farah’s novels have shaped generations of readers and writers around the world. During the event, a line-up writers and scholars will pay homage to Nuruddin’s literary legacy, including: Ubah Cristina Ali Farah, a celebrated poet and novelist whose work moves between languages, cultures and histories; Aamna Mohdin, an award-winning writer and journalist for The Guardian; Alessandra di Maio, a scholar of migration, Africana and postcolonial studies who has translated Nurrudin’s work into Italian; Marco Medungo, a specialist in Anglophone and Italian postcolonial literature and author of Literature of the Somali Diaspora.
Time: Doors at 6:30, show at 9:30pm, followed by Q&A
Price: £12.50
Language: English (with some Somali words and subtitles)
Almas Art Foundation, in partnership with Kayd and with the support of SAAFI, invites you to an evening celebrating Somali storytelling on screen. Experience a curated selection of short films by talented filmmakers from the Horn of Africa and the global diaspora. Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling, community, and cinematic voices from across the Somali diaspora.
Featured Films
Whispers of a Burning Scent (2026) — Directed by Mo Harawe (28 min)
On the day of a decisive court hearing and an important wedding performance, a quiet wedding musician finds his private life exposed to public scrutiny. Accused of exploiting his marriage, he moves between the courtroom, city streets, and stage, carrying the weight of judgment, loyalty, and unspoken guilt.
Mo Harawe has previously written and directed acclaimed films including Will My Parents Come to See Me and Life in the Horn.
Woman Land (2025) — Directed by Yasmin Yassin (10 min)
Two young Somali sisters in Minneapolis balance rebellion with reputation when their secret matchmaking business attracts a client a little too close to home. Set in South Minneapolis, Woman Land follows Somali-American sisters Hafsa and Sumaya as they secretly run a matchmaking service called “Woman Land,” navigating ambition, sisterhood, and cultural expectations. Hafsa, shy and introspective, spearheads the business, while her older sister Sumaya, practical and jaded, dreams of leaving town and exploring the world after graduating from college.
Yasmin Yassin is a Somali director and photographer based in Minnesota. Her artistic practice explores subcultures and the networks of connection people create. With a background in science, Yasmin combines research and relationship-building to tell stories with authenticity and integrity, rooted in the East African oral storytelling tradition.
The Night Thief (2017) — Directed by Khadar Ayderus Ahmed (17 min)
The Night Thief is a short dramedy about Farah, a Somali man living in Helsinki whose car is mysteriously “borrowed” every night. As the incidents begin to threaten his job security, Farah attempts to catch the culprit, leading to an unexpected turn.
Khadar Ayderus Ahmed is a Somali-Finnish filmmaker whose films have been screened internationally. His best known for directing the feature film The Gravedigger's Wife.
A Cliff Becomes a Bridge — Warda Rose (10 min)
A Clif Becomes a Bridge is an intimate documentary about displacement, family, and belonging, in which the filmmaker’s effort to reconnect with her sister becomes a deeper exploration of trauma, refugee identity, loneliness, and how art and storytelling support healing after survival. The film has screened at Regent Park film festival and TIFF New Horizons: New Voices of Canada.
Warda Rose is a filmmaker and arts organizer based in Toronto. A refugee from Djibouti, Warda is an ArtworksTO, OYA emerging Filmmakers, and POV Film alum who works across various artistic mediums, including visual art, plays, poetry, painting, and puppetry.
Roadtrip - Daniel Oluwasayo Olabode (20 min)
Roadtrip follows Fawzia, a young British-Somali woman, and her older brother Tahiil as they embark on a tense overnight drive to the French Embassy in London, seeking justice after a tragic loss. As the siblings navigate grief and anger, recordings of their father's speeches accompany them, shaping their conversations and challenging their perspectives. Roadtrip is an intimate drama about loss, family, legacy and neo-colonialism.
Daniel Oluwasayo Olabode is an award-winning British Nigerian filmmaker, creative director and producer with over twelve years of experience creating culturally rich, emotionally resonant work across film, branded content and live experiences. Working from concept to completion, he combines storytelling, creative direction and strategic leadership to deliver projects that engage audiences and inspire change. His work explores history, identity, politics and social justice, with a particular interest in African histories and the experiences of the global majority. Alongside filmmaking, Daniel helps organisations develop creative strategy, sustainable structures and collaborative partnerships that support long-term cultural impact.
Price: £10.25 - £17
Language: English
Poetry has long been a ‘homeland’ of sorts for Somali communities in the Horn of Africa: a space for debate, provocation and reflection, a site of shared cultural memory and a spiritual sanctuary. But what happens to this ‘homeland’ – and the sanctuary words provide – as Somalis move to new geographic, cultural and linguistic locales? Featuring a line-up of award-winning poets – including Samatar Elmi, Asmaa Jama, Ibrahim Hirsi, Safiya Mohamed and Zakariye– this event explores how diaspora Somali poets who compose in English are re-working an ancient oral tradition to imagine, reflect and sustain ideas of ‘home’ in the UK and beyond. Through conversation and performance, hear how poetry that grapples with themes of migration, racism, inter-generational trauma, love, friendship and belonging continues to provoke, inspire and inform Somali and English-speaking audiences. The event will be moderated by Dr. Christina Woolner.
To close this year’s Somali Week Festival, Kayd Somali Arts & Culture invites you to an evening of live music, celebration, and tribute, marking the festival’s finale with one of its most anticipated events. Final Beats returns as a night that honours the richness of Somali cultural expression across generations, bringing together contemporary performance, shared memory, and the vibrant energy of live music in a collective closing moment.
This year’s event will also honour Said Salah with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his extraordinary contribution to Somali culture. Salah is a poet, educator, playwright, and filmmaker who, over several decades, has made a profound impact on Somali literature and the arts. The founder of Iftin Band, which was an educational band as one of the major bands in Somalia. To celebrate this occasion, members of Iftin Band will be performing, Sayid Khalifa, Addey Ali Ahmed (Caddey Cali Axmed), Maryan Ruun and live music of Nimco Yasin and Nimco Dagan. This will be followed by the main closing act from Salah Sanaag (To be confirmed) and Isse Abdulaziz Ali (Iskilaaji)
Salah Abdirzack Mohamed (Saalah Sanaag) is an award-winning Somali-Kenyan singer-songwriter and one of the leading voices in contemporary Somali music. Known for his heartfelt music, he has built a huge international following, with nearly one million YouTube subscribers and over one million TikTok followers.
Isse Abdulaziz Ali (Iskilaaji) is an award-winning Somali singer-songwriter, musician and composer, celebrated for his romantic and culturally rich music. With millions of views across YouTube and a devoted international following, he is one of the most recognised voices in contemporary Somali music.
The event will be hosted by Abdisalan Hereri. Hereri is a veteran Somali journalist, media personality, and broadcaster whose career spans several decades. Widely recognized across the Somali-speaking world, he is known for his in-depth interviews, historical features, and cultural reporting. He currently produces digital content through his platform, Hereri Media.
Location: The British Library, London
Price: £12 | Language: English, BSL
Be there as we open the 18th Annual Somali Week Festival.
This year's festival theme, "Making Home: Art in Motion," explores how art and creative expression have shaped Somali ideas of home across time and place. From the Horn of Africa to communities around the world, the festival reflects on how creativity connects people to their heritage while helping to imagine and build new homes.