[Who’s THAT Girl?] Daddyless Daughters

Who are ya?
Daddyless Daughters is a community production company providing teenage girls and women with a platform to creatively express themselves

How did you get here?
Our Founder, Aliyah Ali has lived experience of growing up in a household which was fuelled by domestic violence, alcohol dependency and mental health illnesses. Aliyah quickly found herself vulnerable to some of London’s most notorious Gangs and leading a life of crime until her 18th birthday when she received a 4 year custodial sentence. Whilst in prison, Aliyah was exposed to a whole new world of vulnerability and met many girls from across the country who had life stories of trauma, neglect and abandonment. She noticed that majority of these girls were under the systems radar and like herself, they all had not been equipped with the relevant tools to express their experiences. Upon her release, Aliyah dedicated her career to vulnerable girls who are at risk of being groomed and exploited and left between the cracks of the system. Aliyah went on to work in residential housing supporting young people transition onto independence. She has worked closely with organisations such as the Prison Reform Trust, Catch 22, CAMHS, Women in Prison, rainmakers Worldwide and NHS. Also partnering with BBC on a brief documentary about her life and presenting a radio show played in prisons across England and Wales. Through sharing stories of her childhood and experiences with gangs, Aliyah gained a sense of empowerment that she aspires to pass on to every girl and woman that works with her.

Along her journey she met Karina Mills who equally came from a walk of life that led to her joining Aliyah on this journey.
Azariah has been a fan of Daddyless Daughters since she had watched the documentary featuring Aliyah and reached out last year about partaking in expressive venting. Shortly after, Aliyah and Karina brought her on board to form the dream team!

What sets YOU apart?
We use lived experiences to educate and empower our audience to express themselves too.
We are passionate about freedom of expression no matter how uncomfortable it makes our audience feel. We believe that by sparking uncomfortable conversations with our creativity, we can remove stigmas and challenge narratives leaving a trail of positive imprints in the world.
Aside from our creative projects, we aim to empower our participants by hosting events which will provide practical tools such as self-defence classes and therapeutic group meetings.

Daddyless Daughters aspires to prevent young girls and women from falling into the cracks of the system by accepting their past but taking charge of their future.

Next five years.. Where are ya?
I can see Daddyless Daughters known across the world with billboard projects and an army of young girls and women raising their voices. I can see us providing a whole catalogue of resources to our communities such as housing and jobs.

How do we find you?
Instagram
Twitter
Website