Clipart of a smiling paint palette and brush
this month's resident:

Every month, Creative Debuts gives us a bit of money to give to a different creative who we reaaally want to see succeed!!!! this month, we have selected Felix Mufti – ‘scouse activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer who loves to tell his unhinged life stories through rhythm n’ rap inspired spoken word, poetry, prose and music’ ✨ Please enjoy one of his poems on this homepage & find out more about the grant here.

not in this room do we lie the oppressed we lie the enlightened those brave enough to accept the blessing of themselves could never lay as the oppressed whenever we find our skin cold watch the breathe leave ur mouth remember the life within u some of us grow up our houses cold only sign of life- breathe to watch fill the air n mix with stale smoke some people only see cold on their skiing holidays they do not see their breathe like we do did not think i would make it past my 21st birthday they do not see their breathe like we do I never thought id spend time with my reflection they do not see their breathe like we do when no one wanted us to hear it we teach ourselves love even if sometimes u may not believe it but to be queer is to be here sharing moments touching skin they tried to disallow with every breathe closer to ur last one use everyone u have left to unlearn the guilt of missing sun n instead take comfort in the moon what ur breathe has to offer we sleep in beds that have splintered our hands as we built them but our sleeps will be the deepest our euphoria more than they could have dreamt our breath may be stilted by binders n tape but when the weight on ur chest is gone its a deeper breathe than they could ever take i hope u read love written in every crevice of ur body u have hid pray that we may declare it fearlessly, as we should pray that we experience the entitlement others are born with for we have power over our autonomy and we may have 2 learn how 2 breathe but we'll always breathe out loyalty When we make a commitment to ourselves others scare to think no matter proclaim when we ourselves deny invited shame whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me whoever sees my truth is the one that comforts me we will never loose friends anvone we loose was never enough to be called so we will instead form the strongest connections ones so pure hate will never know my father's house has many rooms; if that were not so would I have told vou that I am going there to prepare a place for you? and if I go and prepare a place for you, i will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where i am. vou know the way to the place where l am going hate can not enter spaces crated by love our foundations r stronger if they smash r windows through we will glaze them thick with strength heal any wounds with an elixir mixed of tears we may once have shed for you created my inmost being, you knit me together in womb. i praise vou because i am fearfullv and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful, i know that full well magic exists within r fingertips even if they may be papercut and trapped by pages or history books to be written about this time for now we write verse with every movement of our lips with every limp of our wrists may we be happy may we be healthy may we be safe may we live with ease mouths like fine wine flowing smoothly for love gliding past lips and teeth we belong to love and loves desire is for we