MoYah
(he/him)
Migration Stories: Art as Activism was a bursary initiative supporting producers passionate about using art to tell migration stories and drive activism.
Designed to help producers feel resourced in their professional development, the bursary championed work engaging with a subject that impacts millions globally.
MoYah is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and award-winning interfaith creative producer. Born amidst Mozambique’s 15-year civil war, he fled to Portugal as a political refugee, shaping his artistic journey around themes of resilience, migration, and community empowerment.
Performing in nearly 20 countries, MoYah blends Afro-Fusion and rap, addressing social justice issues and building community cohesion. Beyond music, he delivers workshops and educational programs that uplift refugees, migrants, and underrepresented communities.
As Hip Hop Ambassador and South West Manager of May Project Gardens, MoYah co-leads the Hip-Hop Garden program with Ian Solomon Kawall, merging Hip-Hop and environmental education.
Recognised with the prestigious 21 for 21 award, his leadership inspires dialogue and drives social transformation.
Since 2025, MoYah has served as President of CUFA Bristol, part of a global NGO operating in 65 countries. CUFA supports underserved communities through cultural and educational programs, championing equity and opportunity.
From performing to producing, MoYah’s work embodies resilience and social impact, amplifying voices often unheard while inspiring communities worldwide through creativity and activism.
How will you utilise the bursary?
MoYah will use this bursary to further develop his creative practice and strengthen international collaborations with artists, activists, and producers to amplify migration narratives on a larger scale. The bursary will help cover essential travel and accommodation costs in Portugal during Refugee Week Portugal, a festival he is co-organizing with his colleague Carlota Matos. This support will help him to curate an event during the festival and document other impactful artistic projects that celebrate refugee and migrant communities whilst promoting meaningful conversations on migration, cultural diversity, resilience, and social change.
Image Description: Medium close-up of a black man with a well-wearing dark sunglasses and a short-sleeved, button-up shirt with a black-and-white abstract pattern. He stands in front of a textured stone wall at night, illuminated by a strong backlight that casts a dramatic glow around his silhouette. His expression is serious, and the background is slightly blurred, with small distant lights visible.
Photo description: Photo taken by Janeth Tavares- @janethtavaresphoto
Bursary Reflection
Receiving the £1,000 grant from Producer Gathering in 2025 was incredibly valuable for my creative and professional development. The support helped sustain my practice as an independent artist and producer, enabling me to continue developing international collaborations and projects rooted in storytelling, migration and cultural dialogue.
A significant portion of the funding enabled me to travel between the United Kingdom and Portugal in order to do a theatre residency in Porto with my collaborator Carlota Matos.
During this residency, we worked on developing a theatrical project titled Um Passado Presente, also known in English as A Past Present. The piece explores the historical and ongoing impact of Portuguese colonisation in Mozambique and reflects on themes of displacement, memory, and migration. It also draws from my own lived experience as someone whose family was forced to flee Mozambique during the civil war.
The funding made it possible to spend time researching, developing the narrative and experimenting with the creative direction of the project. It also supported travel both between the United Kingdom and Portugal and within Portugal, which allowed us to maintain momentum and deepen the collaboration.
While the grant enabled important progress on the project, the residency itself ultimately remains an ongoing process. If longer-term support had been available, it would have allowed us to continue the residency into 2026 and further develop the work towards production. Sustained funding over a longer period can make a significant difference for independent artists working across borders, particularly when projects require research, travel, and collaborative development.
The grant also allowed me to expand my professional network by connecting with musicians, artists, and cultural producers working within theatre and the wider arts sector in Portugal. These connections are continuing to influence my creative practice and are helping to open new pathways for future collaborations.
In addition to supporting the residency, the funding indirectly contributed to the successful delivery of Refugee Week Portugal in June 2025, which I co-launched alongside a collective of organisers, artists, activists, and volunteers. Together we delivered 33 events across four cities: Lisbon, Porto, Leiria, and Covilhã. The ability to travel and coordinate across locations played an important role in supporting the festival’s development and reach.
The mentoring element of the programme was also extremely valuable. A one to one session with Nassy provided helpful guidance and connections with other cultural producers, which helped strengthen my approach to producing and broaden my professional network.
Looking ahead, I will be coordinating Refugee Week Portugal again this year, continuing to build on the momentum created in 2025. All of the events are free and designed to benefit migrant and refugee communities as well as the wider public. Because accessibility is central to the project, we do not charge for participation, which means that travel and coordination costs can often become challenging. Additional support for travel within Portugal would make a significant difference in enabling this work to continue reaching communities across different cities.
Overall, the Producer Gathering grant played an important role in strengthening my creative practice, supporting international collaboration and enabling projects that centre migration, storytelling, and community engagement. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and for the trust placed in independent artists and producers through this support.
