Tia Camilleri: Presenter, Poet, and Activist

Born and raised in Cardiff, Tia Camilleri is a passionate and ambitious creative with a keen interest in TV presenting, politics, and spoken word poetry. A talented writer and activist, Tia's professional journey is already making waves.

She serves as a member of the Wales Millennium Centre Youth Advisory Board and Design Group, a creative associate for Fio, a Media Assistant at BeXcellence, and a citizen journalist with EYST. Her spoken word poetry featured in Landing Bolts, a production by Fio, where she also discovered her passion for directing.

Tia’s work extends to collaborations with both ITV and BBC, where she has written news articles and co-presented for ITV Wales. Her mission is to carve out space for future creatives, championing representation and belonging in the industry.

With a deep love for music, poetry, and social equity, Tia's creative pursuits reflect her commitment to community and culture. Recently, she wrote and performed a powerful spoken word piece inspired by the Gabriel’s Wharf Arts Festival in autumn, capturing the spirit of unity and creativity.

community

I ask you all 

‘what does this place mean to you?’

and i find myself rephrasing the question 

cuz im guessing to many this place is new

so i skew my intention of this lesson 

how many of us know london 

for its 

noisy streets

and it’s 

boys in beef 

where the pace of our lives barely catch the beat 

of the nonstop moving 

that’s our feet 

and how many of us know london for the 

silent waves of the beach 

distanced by less than 50 feet

for the community

and the unity 

the opportunity

how many of us know london for the quiet? 

i ask 

what does this place mean to you? 

and i hear of stories i could never google 

i did my research but the facts and statistics 

don’t do justice the lived experience 

i have witnessed 

is this 

the place your grandparents moved after war 

where immigrants met famous actors at their front door 

with discrimination and more

cuz integration before 

didn’t reflect 

the coastline meeting shore

they wait for it to rain 

so the bombed terrain 

fills

and they can swim 

like we do so often 

turn a catastrophe 

into a masterpiece 

but what’s a masterpiece 

with out a mass to please? 

we are innovators 

turning pain into art 

our struggles into lessons 

and our ends into starts 

someone told me this us 

the place that needs more parking 

the place that with mum you go mudlarking

where a stone can spark a story 

is this 

the place you didn’t know existed until today 

on your one week holiday 

you decided to stay

the place that you trade 

or the place you helped make 

the place you sat for hours and chose to create 

I asked 

what does this place mean to you 

and i find myself rephrasing the question 

what do you mean to this place? 

is what im getting 

decorated with our stories 

our messages 

whether you’ve left footprints on the sand 

pounds in the pockets of independent shops 

added to conversations that hang in the air

released vibrations that bounce here and there 

art that graces the square 

you have adorned it 

how nice for 5-year-olds to write how much they love the place they live 

what a blessing we have to give 

this city hums 

and we match its rhythm 

the shadows play,

beside the river’s gentle sway,

communities blend in a dance,

the way all our lives have brought us to the same place 

i’ve sat here 

and observed everything 

the laughter 

the chat 

the moving 

the families 

and i think of how this place once existed 

and i thank you all for aiding what’s shifted 

this back 

to its roots 

think about what you mean to this place 

as much as what this place means to you 

as we celebrate and relish in its authentic return 

of a place of warmth 

who’s light so brightly burns 

Tia Camilleri