The Yemeni Community Festival of Ideas took place in April and May 2026, with four drop-in events held in trusted local spaces, at Kuumba Imani and continuing across Al-Rahma Mosque, Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, and the newly renovated Al-Ghazali Centre.
Led by the community, for the community, each session was intentionally informal and accessible, allowing people to participate at their own pace, share food, and engage in ways that feel comfortable to them.
The Festival of Ideas began as a conversation between Joanne Anderson and Abdul Basit, recognising the strong sense of entrepreneurship within Liverpool’s Yemeni community. From this initial discussion, the idea developed into a community-led programme designed to create space for people to share ideas, connect with others, and explore routes into business and social enterprise.
From the first session at Kuumba Imani, the strength of community was clear and continued throughout the programme. At Al-Rahma Mosque, the openness of the drop-in format, held on the street, encouraged people to stop, share early-stage ideas and contribute in simple but meaningful ways. One participant handwrote business cards for her henna business, Warda’s Henna Art and immediately began connecting with others, while another brought watermelon and biscuits to share with the group. These moments reflect the generosity and creativity within the community and set the tone for the sessions that follow.
The programme consistently reinforced a key insight: communities already hold the knowledge, ideas, and entrepreneurial energy needed to create opportunities. The role of the festival is to create the space, connections and support structures for those ideas to emerge and develop.
Over the course of the festival, 47 ideas were submitted across a wide range of sectors and stages of development. Development awards have been given to support participants in progressing their ideas and referrals have been made to connect individuals with relevant opportunities and support. A catering cluster and community has also been created, providing a space for early-stage food businesses to access advice and resources, including marketing support and branding guidance. BlaST membership has also grown significantly as a result of the festival, reflecting increased engagement from the community.
We will now begin organising a celebration event, where all ideas will be welcome to be showcased in some way.
The festival has also led to increased community leadership. Volunteers from within the community stepped forward and became part of the festival organising team, helping to shape and deliver the sessions as they evolved. This reflects the principle at the heart of the programme: that the work is most impactful when it is led by the community itself.
Alongside this, further engagement is ongoing with participants who are interested in accessing investment, ensuring continued support as ideas move into more advanced stages.
This work is made possible through the contribution of many individuals and organisations. We would like to thank our caterers Al-Rahma Bistro and Cafe, Abdullah Quilliam Kitchen, and Leyla Mashjari at Al-Ghazali Centre. Thank you to Kuumba Imani for hosting our first event, and to all venue staff, volunteers, and team members who support across all four events.
We are grateful to our partners Abdul Basit and Saba for their leadership and for connecting the community throughout the festival and to the BlaST team for their ongoing support. Thank you to Bilqis Shakil for documenting the journey through photography, Tigist from Jebena Coffee for providing Ethiopian coffee and refreshments across all sessions and Shadia Hamood for the artwork. Thank you also to Prima for joining the festival organising team and contributing along the way.
Most importantly, we would like to thank everyone who has attended, shared ideas, and contributed to the conversations across the four drop-in sessions. The festival demonstrates the power of community, collaboration, and shared ambition. This is only the beginning, and we look forward to building on this work in the next phase.
Photographs: Bilqis Shakil