‘Artefacts were just sitting in suitcases in people’s homes’: the London museum preserving Somali culture

You could probably walk right past Culture House without noticing it. Tucked away, just off the bustle of London’s Uxbridge Road, the building’s muted colours, simple sign and arched doorway give little away. Step inside, though, and you’ll soon be enticed by what is the UK’s first permanent exhibition and cultural space dedicated to Somali heritage.Officially opened last May, Culture House features a collection of over 150 artefacts, a rotating exhibition, poetry workshops and a digital archive...

How three young Londoners set out to explore the countries of their parents’ birth – and redefined the travel vlog

‘Kayum was my friend for years,” recalls Abubakar Finiin. “But when I met his grandad in Bangladesh, it just felt like I understood his whole story. I knew so much more about him as a person.”
This moment of connection captures the essence of Kids of the Colony, a grassroots travel series on YouTube created by three childhood friends from Islington: Abubakar, Kayum Miah and Zakariya Hajjaj, all 23. In a series of chatty vlogs that thrive on their offbeat humour and close friendship, the trio p...

‘It was chaotic but beautiful’: Warda Mohamed and Kosar Ali on filming the British-Somali short Muna

When Warda Mohamed posted a message on social media that she had completed her feature film script, she never expected it to change her career. “I genuinely thought it was just going to be a few people saying, ‘Oh my God, well done’,” she says. “I posted it at nine o’clock at night and thought nothing of it.” By morning, a commissioner at BBC Film had reached out, setting the wheels in motion for what would become Muna – an 18-minute short film that screened at more than 60 international film fe...

Can Content Creators And Influencers Be Journalists Too?

Back in February 2024, the Dune: Part Two press junket sparked a fiery debate on X (formerly known as Twitter) that has become all too familiar: should content creators and influencers really be the ones interviewing actors and artists about their craft?
This debate resurfaces every time a seemingly silly or unprofessional question is asked during an interview — like when Harry Daniels, a TikToker with 1.4 million followers, asked celebrities like Halle Bailey and America Ferrera if they’d prefe...

In Conversation With Shahed Ezaydi: The Truth About Muslim Women and White Feminism

I spent a large chunk of my teenage years meticulously researching the meaning of feminism. After many attempts at understanding difficult Google searches with inaccessible language for a 15 year old, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t for me. Barely anything I found resonated with me, a young Black, Muslim woman growing up in the UK. I automatically equated feminism with whiteness. It wasn’t until my second year of university that I began to learn more about intersectional feminism, which

Birmingham 'Stop Asian Hate' group condemns London restaurant's racist advert

A London restaurant has come under fire for publishing an advertisement deemed “racist” by members of the British Asian community.

The Ivy Asia restaurant has received a backlash from Stop Asian Hate activists, including its Birmingham chapter, after releasing an offensive marketing campaign portraying East and South East Asian people as demeaning caricatures.

Located in the affluent area of Chelsea, the restaurant and bar released the promotional video on Instagram showing caricatures of wome

Bashir's Story: I am a Brummie but I am treated differently

At age just 14, Bashir Ahmadzai fled for his life to the UK from Khost, eastern Afghanistan, escaping violence and Taliban recruitment. Now, at 27 years old, his claim for asylum has been rejected by the Home Office, and he is being told to return to Afghanistan.

Upon arrival, Bashir was placed into the foster care system under a local authority. As a young man, he was placed into a foster family, where he received care and wa