“IF PEOPLE SUPPORT EACH OTHER, THEY DO NOT FALL.”
- Somali Proverb
PROGRAMS
TQP offers programs that celebrate Somali culture, creativity, and community. From workshops and collaborative projects to storytelling and cultural preservation initiatives, our offerings create spaces for connection, expression, and pride.
Whether through artmaking, shared narratives, or community events, our programs are rooted in uplifting Somali voices and honoring our heritage.
CREATIVE FELLOWSHIPS
Our fellowships nurture aspiring Somali artists, researchers, and storytellers by providing resources, mentorship, and platforms to explore and share their work.
These opportunities are designed to elevate community voices and foster innovative approaches to cultural preservation and creative expression.
COMMUNITY FORUMS
Our community forums create space for open dialogue, collaboration, and shared learning, fostering connections across cultural and artistic interests.
They encourage meaningful engagement and inspire collective action on issues important to the Somali community.
ARCHIVAL PRACTICES
Our archival practices prioritize preserving Somali cultural heritage in Minnesota through community-centered storytelling and active participatory documentation.
We are focused on creating accessible and dynamic archives that reflect the richness and diversity of Somali experiences in Minnesota, past and present.
TQP 2025-2026 Fellowships
TQP supports young artists and cultural workers whose work is rooted in story, community, and cultural practice. Our fellowships are designed to create space for artists to deepen their work while engaging in collective learning and exchange.
For 2025–2026, we are working with two fellows across distinct but interconnected programs. Our Stage & Story Fellow, in collaboration with Mixed Blood Theatre, is developing work at the intersection of performance and storytelling, bringing narrative to life through the stage. Alongside this, our Cultural Cartography Fellow is engaged in a project centered on mapping Somali women in Minnesota, exploring memory and lived experience through research and creative practice.
Together, their work reflects the breadth of what storytelling can hold. From performance to archive, from personal narrative to collective history. We’re honored to support them over the coming year and to share more about who they are and what they’re building.
Ayan Mahamed
Cultural Cartography Fellow
Ayan Mahamed is an undergraduate biology student at the University of Minnesota with aspirations of becoming a physician. Born and raised in Minnesota, her interests are rooted in both community engagement and future work in healthcare.
She was drawn to The Qalanjo Project through its strong emphasis on female leadership, which inspired her to apply for her current fellowship. Through her work as the Cultural Cartography fellow, Ayan will collaborate with Somali women entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives in the Minneapolis area to document their accomplishments and contributions to the community.
Kaaha Kaahiye
Stage & Story Fellow
Kaaha Kaahiye is a Somali writer, filmmaker, producer, and thinker from Minneapolis, MN. A former community organizer and teacher, her work centers on Somali life and history, surveillance, and themes of dis/connection.
As The Qalanjo Project’s Stage & Story Fellow, she is developing an original play in partnership with Mixed Blood Theatre. Her practice is deeply informed by Somalinimo, alongside an engagement with speculative fiction, spirituality, and fantasy, elements that shape the world-building and narrative depth of her work on stage.
