We Called it Cages

Bring along your poet and film friends alike for a first time screening of Birmingham-based poet Zakariye’s short spoken word film Cages.

Set in Smethwick, the part of Birmingham blessed by Malcolm X himself, Cages takes us on a nostalgic journey through poetry and film into Zakariye’s childhood, highlighting a collective need to find escape in a world where systems and structures are against you. Through some hard hitting spoken word, Cages captures just how important it is for young people to have unrestricted access to community space.

The evening will bring together film and poetry with a programme of spoken word films curated in collaboration with The GAP Arts Project’s Culture Collective. In a nod to the GAP’s role as one of Balsall Heath’s key community hubs, the films explore the importance of communal spaces, friendship, and connection with city and place.

Taking us through Birmingham and beyond, the programme includes work by local Brummie poets Nafeesa Hamid, Sipho Eric Ndlovu, Mehvish Rehman, and Ayan Mo Aden, as well as filmmakers further afield such as London based artist Caleb Femi and Nathan Addai, whose brilliant film Mental Roots takes us on an animated journey into the mind of a young man wrestling with his identity.

After the screening, Zakariye will talk about making Cages and the intersection of film and poetry in a Q&A facilitated by the Culture Collective’s Adil Khalid at the GAP, followed by a film themed poetry workshop. Join Zakariye in exploring rhyme and rhythm using examples from his own work, and create some poetry of your own!

Workshop places are limited and you will be asked whether you’d like to sign up on arrival, so arrive a little early if you want to participate. If you don’t manage to nab yourself a spot or you’re too stunned by the amazing programme of films on show to participate in a workshop, free food will be provided, so grab a snack and get chatting to the filmmakers and poets of Brum! (And don’t worry, workshop participants will also have a chance to get some grub before the workshop.)

FILMS

Bluebird
dir: Ella Ezeike, USA 2022, 4 mins

And they knew Light
dir: Caleb Femi, UK 2017, 4 mins

Mental Roots
dir: Nathan Addai, UK 2022, 4 mins

Disruption
dir: O’Driscoll Collective, UK 2021, 5 mins

On the Beat
dir: Nafeesa Hamid, UK 2022, 2 mins

Small Pockets
dir: Adjei Sun, UK 2022, 5 mins

Disruption
dir: O’Driscoll Collective, UK 2021, 1 min

Inhale, Exhale
dir: Jaskirt Dhaliwal- Boora, UK 2022, 5 mins

Far Lights
dir: Mehvish Rehman, UK 2023, 1 min

Cages
(dir: Zakariye Abdillahi, UK 2022, 5 mins

About Zakariye Abdillahi:
Zakariye is a poet and writer who has been performing his poetry for over four years. He often writes to intrigue audiences through emotive stories and characters and aims to push and share new perspectives. In November 2022, he had his short poetry film Cages released on BBC Four as part of the Screengrabbed Too: Introducing Arts programme. He has performed in the likes of Victoria Square, Birmingham Town Hall, Symphony Hall, The Glee Club and was featured on Brum Radio as well as performing a set at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.