Writing

Creativity has been with me for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was constantly writing short stories, inventing imaginary worlds, and even creating my own pretend language to speak to my dolls.

My journey as a writer began publicly at the age of thirteen when my poem was published in a local newspaper, What’s Science. That small moment gave me the confidence to believe that words could travel beyond the page and connect with other people.

Since then, writing has taken me on an extraordinary journey. I have published two books: a poetry collection and a blog I used to write that became a book called Memoirs of a Dater, which I later adapted into a stage production. The show became a double sold-out hit at Upstairs at the Western Theatre, an experience that showed me the power of transforming personal stories into live performance.

I have also written and performed original music, including the song Out of Glue, which was featured on BBC Introducing.

I am the founder of Get Mouthy, an open mic night that I started from grassroots in Leicester. What began as a small creative community has continued to grow and is now run by an incredible team of people. Today, I host Verbal Verse in Loughborough, a poetry night dedicated to creating space for writers, performers, and poets.

I am currently working on my next poetry book, Habibi, as well as a short film raising awareness of domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, and mental health. My work has increasingly become a way of giving a voice to experiences that are often hidden, misunderstood, or left unspoken.

Art

In 2014, I began exploring taxidermy as an artistic medium, drawn to themes of preservation, memory, and transformation. My work was exhibited at Art House Clarendon Park and Brick Lane Gallery in London, where I developed my early artistic voice.

Over time, my practice evolved towards abstract painting, where texture, colour, and emotion became central to my work. I studied under artist Louise Ellerington, whose guidance in oil painting and canvas techniques helped shape a new chapter in my creative practice.

My abstract work was later exhibited in a solo exhibition titled Secrets at The Chapel Gallery in Leicester. The exhibition explored the hidden landscapes of memory, identity, and emotion through layered colour and texture.

I am now a member of Studio @ 17 where I continue to develop new work and curate my forthcoming exhibition. My art and writing exist alongside one another—both are ways of exploring the stories we carry, the emotions we struggle to name, and the beauty that can emerge from vulnerability.

For me, Sirah Is Art is more than a name. It is a lifelong commitment to creating, building, expressing, and inspiring people from all walks of life.