Presenting the Second Audio Collections Series, produced by Chai with Rai and titled An Ode: Reframing the Classics. 

In 2025, in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Community Centre at London Bankside, we introduced a new audio series: An Ode: Reframing the Classics—continuing its mission to amplify diverse voices and creative perspectives. 

Selected as Artist of the Month for July 2025, Raimu Itfum presented An Ode: Reframing the Classics as a public exhibition at Theatre Deli,  which opened throughout July and was free to attend.

Now joining me today IN THE CHAI ROOM (should I keep calling it that?)  is my dear friend—dancer, choreographer, model, performer and now writer—Tarek Khwiss.

This was Tarek’s second time on the podcast, and what a special episode it was. A lot of you often ask what it’s like having friends on the podcast, and this episode is truly the epitome of that. We have a deep conversation about dance culture in the UK, friendships within the industry, and kindness toward ourselves and others while navigating the creative world.

Tarek and I also get into politics and activism—using our social platforms to speak out, and the balance (or imbalance) of doing so while managing a creative, freelance life. We discuss how this seeps into our work, the challenges it brings, and how it has shaped our personal viewpoints.

We also talk about being Arab and queer, and dive into Tarek’s new business, Haus of Hurriyah, as well as queer spaces such as Hishek Bishek in London . Of course, we discuss Tarek’s story “Confessions” for An Ode: Reframing the Classics—which, by the way, you can stream in full now on Patreon. You’ll also hear a soundbite in this episode.