The Tottenham Phoenix
The Tottenham Phoenix was birthed to showcase a representative image of the
excellency and vibrancy of Tottenham - for members of its own community and
beyond. It aspires to be a mouthpiece for the community in all its intellectual
and creative diversity; it is a vessel through which young people can express
themselves, appreciate others and be recognised.
The Phoenix Editorial Team 2025
Editors left to right:
Saira Khan, Yusra Ali, Chibueze Ugoji, Eva Smith, Safiyyah Kazi, Paris Udigwe, Saraah Patel,
Daria Chiric, Eva Trayler, Eilidh Dobbie, Kay Budka-Fox, Nikhil Handley, Abdus-Samad Ally
What you now hold is more than a collection of words and images; it is the culmination of a year’s devotion, imagination, and collaboration. Brought to life by a team of passionate student editors, and nurtured by our partners at CreativityUnleashed and LAET’s outreach initiative Chrysalis East, this volume stands as a testament to the creative force of young minds when given space to speak and be heard.
Born from electrifying open mic-nights and soul-stirring workshops, blending poetry, STEM research, music, political commentary, fine art and more, this anthology not only captures the diverse interests of our community, but also resists linear form or static genre. Instead, it invites you into a dynamic constellation of voices and visions that begins in the shadows of the past, flows through the immediacy of our present, and arcs toward futures still imagined.
This is not simply a magazine. It is a carefully choreographed journey through time, a narrative tapestry that echoes the rhythms of life itself. Each page turned becomes a step forward, not just through eras, but through the intimate terrain of the human experience, itself shaped by memories, hopes, transitions and cycles. From ancient echoes to contemporary questions, and on to speculative possibilities, this journey invites you into profound dialogue with the pressing realities of today and the hopes of tomorrow. Within these pages, you will find truths, provocations, and offerings from a generation deeply conscious of the world it inherits and dares to remake.
We are honoured to feature the voices of our own LAET students and staff, alongside those of our partner secondary schools - Duke’s Aldridge Academy, Gladesmore Community School, Park View School, Mulberry Academy Woodside - whose contributions, are marked by a FEATHER and enrich this volume with diverse perspectives and a shared sense of place and purpose. This year’s magazine also features contributions from four LAET alumni, marked by a GOLD FEATHER, all of whom have worked directly with LAET students this year to support their creative, academic and personal journeys.
Though a framework exists, we invite you to read on your own terms. You may wish to follow the arc of time from beginning to end, or you might stumble upon a single piece that arrests your attention and speaks directly to you. We also invite you to follow the embedded QR codes to explore longer pieces and listen to recordings of captivating music and powerful spoken word. However you journey through it, read slowly. Read with curiosity. Read with openness.
This magazine is both a mirror and a message, reflecting the world as we see it, and reminding ourselves, and you, that from the ashes of challenge and change something bright and meaningful always rises. So now, we invite you to begin: wander freely, listen deeply, and let these pages guide you through a living, breathing chronicle of our shared humanity.
Note from Ms Raima Bari, Mr Frederick Sehgal and Dr Camilla Stanger (The Tottenham Phoenix staff team): We have witnessed for 8 months a group of students - from varying facets of LAET’s community - come together in joy, laughter, a readiness to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, and a deep respect and appreciation for this creative endeavour, to curate a body of work that honours and celebrates their community. It has been a privilege to watch all thirteen student editors bring, with loving hands, volume three of The Tottenham Phoenix to life. Thank you all and congratulations.
Deep gratitude is also owed to the LAET community for the creation of this edition of The Phoenix. It was truly a communal effort to bring together the voices you find here, of young people ranging in age from 12 to 23, and across academic and creative disciplines. This bringing together was made possible by the investment, care and pride of LAET staff who nurtured and shared the work of their cohorts; by the support and trust of staff in our feeder secondary schools; and, this year, also by the creative and guiding contributions of LAET alumni. Thank you.
We extend a special thank you to Angie Smith from CreativityUnleashed, our publisher, for believing so deeply in our young people, for bringing energy and expertise when we needed it most, and for guiding us in taking it from idea to reality. From the CreativityUnleashed team we also thank Monika Reich for supporting the creation of our new website, where you will find our QR-coded pieces. On this note, we offer a huge shout-out and thank you to Chibueze Uogji, who led on this important development of The Phoenix. Additional special thanks to Daria Chiric, who wrote our opening note to the reader so beautifully, and to Jibril Rose, Dr Melanie Socrates, Emma Rivlin, Maria Christopher, Josie Carter, Nathan Hatch and the LAET Facilities Team for their support in the creative process. Last but not least, a huge thank you to our designer Mark Mathews and Bluekite Creative - the way you include us in the creative process is deeply appreciated - and to Rokos Capital Management, without whose contributions the magazine could not exist.
The Phoenix Editorial Team 2024
Top: Jessica Kamimbaya, Ali Ait, Naomi Iona, Ezel Kupeli
Bottom: Lilia Cauchemez-Turmanidze, Yusra Ali, Ayesha Khan, Crina-Lisa Gheorghe, Layla Miah, Amy Tran
Cover artwork by: Neviah Rae-Shako
Click on the image of our cover to download a full pdf of the magazine.
What you’re about to read has been a year long journey, involving our very own student community as editors, helped massively by our publishers Creativity Unleashed and LAET’s outreach project Chrysalis East, to create the professionally crafted magazine you hold in your hands. From the cover choices to the layout of every single page, it has all been decided here in our school, to be shared with the school community and beyond.
This is the second printed volume of The Tottenham Phoenix magazine. The first volume aspired to showcase, in a representative and inclusive way, the vibrance and excellence of our diverse community here in Tottenham. It aimed to be another platform from which people could express themselves and be recognised for their talents. And this new volume intends to carry out this mission with the current cohort of sixth formers attending this academy. All your voices matter, and that’s a key reason why we exist.
We’ve also had the pleasure of reaching beyond LAET to include the voices of our partner secondary school students - from Duke’s Aldridge Academy, Gladesmore Community School, Park View School, Mulberry Academy Woodside and Haringey Learning Partnership - who have worked with LAET to produce inspiring pieces to represent the younger generation of Tottenham students. This work is indicated by a quill symbol.
And of course, these submissions have also come from you guys. From moving poetry, to international photography, and from personal speeches to finely researched scientific essays: we’ve received the whole range. The quality of these pieces gave us some trouble in finalising the final batch! To mirror the interests of our community, our magazine is truly interdisciplinary. But please feel free to browse by your own interests and favourite genres!
One last thing: despite the sheer diversity of the submissions, we discovered synergy between and amongst many of the pieces. So we had fun grouping and linking the work together via theme, idea and mood. We wonder if you will notice these connections too…
A huge thank you is owed to the LAET community for the creation of this edition of The Phoenix. It was truly a communal effort to create such a poignant magazine bursting with talent, wisdom and inspiration. From the incredibly wise words from Janet and Rebecca from the LAET Elderly Exchange programme, to the teachers at our partner secondary schools who let us work with their students, to LAET staff who sent us essays, poetry and artwork from their cohorts.
Note from Ms Najwa Umran and Dr Camilla Stanger (The Tottenham Phoenix staff team): we want to extend our deepest gratitude and congratulations to the student team for their dedication and commitment over the last 8 months. They’ve planted the seeds and nourished this magazine to life step by step, dreaming up ideas and spending their free time carrying them out. It has been nothing short of remarkable to watch their process.
We extend a special thanks to Angie Smith from CreativityUnleashed for pulling together the magazine and guiding us in taking it from idea to reality. From the CreativityUnleashed team we also thank Amina Yussuf and Ozge Erdur for their poetry workshop, and Monika Reich for building our blogspace for the QR-coded pieces. Additional special thanks to Kyle Daly, Josie Carter, Monika Ibrahim, Amina Ali, Holly Bokolo Wa Mbengi, Melanie Socrates, Saida Ali, Raima Bari and Joseph Unadike for their support in the creative process. Also to WeMove Dance, especially Fumy Opeyemi, Sharifa Butterfly and Nayeli Milenka, for the BHM dance film linked here. Last but not least, a huge thank you to our designer Mark Matthews and Bluekite Creative, and to Rokos Capital Management, without whose contributions the magazine could not exist.
How it all Began!
Cover photograph by Chantay Thomas
