Festival of Voices

Nafeesa (b. Kashmir 1993, bred in Birmingham) is a poet; playwright; educator; performer; and director. When she’s not archiving city council bankruptcy, Nafeesa uses the intersectionality of her identity to inform her multi-disciplinary creative practice.

Her poetry collection Besharam (Verve Poetry Press) was highly commended in the Forward Prizes 2019. Nafeesa is published in Forward Poems of the Decade 2011-2020 (Faber Poetry), The Things I Would Tell You: British Muslim Women Write, (Saqi Books). Nafeesa has appeared on BBC Bitesize; BBC Radio 4 Comedy; The Verb; and at literary festivals across the country, Ireland and Germany.

In 2023 she received a scholarship for Writing Poetry MA at Poetry School London, where she continues developing a body of work about corner shop culture, car boots, faith, and divine love.

Find out more about Nafeesa.

Tracing Glass tells a living history of how Birmingham-born Edward Burne-Jones’ collaboration with William Morris birthed a masterpiece that mirrors the world we live in. The stained glass windows of the renowned Pre-Raphaelite artists not only reflect the politics and history of their times, but also those of our own.

Join hosts Olivia Agbe and Rumbidzai Savanhu as they journey through time to uncover how art can uplift communities. Each episode will invite you to see yourself reflected in the windows as the hosts explore the brilliance of unity and difference.

Listen to the trailer

Festival of Voices is free to attend. If you wish to make a donation towards the work of the cathedral, you can do this at the time of booking or via cash or card during the event.

To help with planning for numbers, including refreshments, please register for a ticket if you plan to attend. If you can no longer attend, please also cancel your ticket if you can.