05 February, 2025
Zakiyyah Deen, an actor, writer, and creative facilitator, conducted a workshop examining the intersection of inner-city, working-class backgrounds and creative practice. The session critically explored how our home environments shape artistic expression, focusing on the duality of attachment to one’s home – both a source of identity and belonging – and the desire for change. The workshop addressed the complexities of navigating these tensions within the context of creative work.
This workshop marked the beginning of a larger research project aimed at building a network of creatives from similar backgrounds, with the goal of producing a collaborative publication that delves deeper into these themes. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to info@artworkassociation.org
Zakiyyah Deen is an actor, writer and creative facilitator born and bred in London with Afro-Caribbean roots. Zakiyyah debuted her full-length play, WHY A BLACK WOMAN WILL NEVER BE PRIME MINISTER, at Camden People’s Theatre, where she took on the roles of writer, lead actor, and co-producer. The Arts Council England supported play received critical acclaim and a sold-out three-week run. Her other theatre credits include BRASSIC FM at The Gate Theatre and IS DAT U YH? at Brixton House. Zakiyyah also starred in the lead role in the Netflix-funded short, THE JOURNEY OF SELF, a project exploring the “seasons of therapy.” She has worked on SMALL AXE directed by Steve McQueen and was a series regular on BBC Three’s comedy series Enterprice. On the writing front, Zakiyyah has been published online and in print for The Guardian and gal-dem, alongside writing for other independent online publications. She was Theatre Deli’s Classic Residency Artist in 2022, Tara Theatre’s Constellations Artist in 2023, and currently has multiple TV projects in early development.