Young Curators: An Introduction

Meet Transform’s 2025 Young Curators!

Consisting of nine multidisciplinary artists and performers, the group meets monthly to create a series of moments and activations for people to experience at Transform 25.

They also regularly connect with a cohort of Young Curators in Nairobi, Kenya at The GoDown Arts Centre, sharing learning and ideas about shaping arts festivals in both cities. 

Stay tuned to discover our Young Curators programme, coming soon.

In the meantime, learn more about them below!

Morgan Young moved to Leeds from Manchester in 2021. Straying from their original musical path of classical voice, they now teach music classes for early years children, drums with (and manages) local band Yuppie Supper, and host grassroots gigs with Poltergeist Promotions. They are also now a Launchpad Future Leader, all whilst studying MA Audiences, Engagement, Participation at the University of Leeds, to work with EDI in the arts industries.

Lauren Kara is a singer, poet and multi-instrumentalist from Leeds. Lauren is passionate about using the power of creativity for good. Creative expression has always been a guiding light through the darkness for her, and she uses her story and gifts to inspire others to use their voice and channel their pain into art. 

Bernice Waweru is currently a student at Leeds Beckett University from Nairobi, studying Music Industries Management. Since arriving in Leeds, she has immersed herself in the music scene, volunteering at Leeds Jazz Festival, Live at Leeds and Independent Venue Week, while also organising gigs at venues like The Lending Room and Vinyl Whistle. Currently, she assists the Project Coordinator at Music Local as a Sync Coordinator, hoping to license the music of upcoming artists.

Saba Siddiqui is a multi-award-winning artist, workshop facilitator and museum curator. She has a socially engaged multimedia practice that explores community, politics and identity. Saba is passionate about accessibility and representation, and decolonisation. She has exhibited at Leeds Art Gallery, Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, Sunny Bank Mills, and Crypt Gallery, London. Saba researched and chose the performance Dear Laila to be presented as part of this year’s festival.

Harrison Green is a Leeds-based DJ and founder of SHAKE IT!, an LGBT+ club night that celebrates queer joy and community. His sets are influenced by POC and queer cultures, creating space for expression and movement. Outside of music, he’s also a trampoline gymnast and physiotherapist based in Leeds.

Ashif Reza is an interdisciplinary queer artist, promoter and curator based in Leeds. He’s currently based at Assembly House, where he explores themes of identity, humour, and vulnerability through documentation, collage, scanning, and performance in his work.

Madina Latipova is a graduate from the University of Leeds in Communication and Media. Madina enjoys exploring arts and music scene in Leeds and the north, and loves working and volunteering at music festivals and gigs.

Bertie Katz is a Visual Communication student at Leeds Arts University with a multidisciplinary background in the arts. His main artistic mediums are dance and photography, but he also explores sculpture, performance, graphic design, and fashion design. His work tends to explore the queer experience, but ultimately, his fascination lies with people: what they do and why.

 Zak Gurnah is a multi-faceted creative and curator working in a variety of artistic fields with a common aim of sharing the stories and voices of people and communities that are often overlooked or underrepresented in dominant culture. As an event-maker and DJ, Zak has co-founded Global Bass Union, a Leeds based collective focused on championing POC and Queer electronic music artists in the North. He has also founded his own CIC, Middle People, which aims to reimagine how we use space to learn, play and interact in Leeds. 

As well as these endeavours, Zak is a freelancing photographer under the alias ‘Usawa Visuals’ with a studio just outside of Manchester, specialising in portrait and editorial work to produce creative, story-driven results with a focus on style and narrative.