Artistic image showing a vertical pole with graffiti, a damaged street sign, autumn trees, and a wooden dock. Overlaid with text asking about community.
Artistic image showing a vertical pole with graffiti, a damaged street sign, autumn trees, and a wooden dock. Overlaid with text asking about community.

Upcoming Events

Nov 13th // 7:00 PM
TUAAC + TUMS Music Festival
// The John . Sadleir House

Meet Sahira

Sahira is a drag djinn and interdisciplinary artist based in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, making work in whatever form the idea demands.

Born in Zanzibar and raised in Toronto, Sahira was a runner-up in the 2019 Future Fierce Pageant hosted by Tynomi Banks, and was more recently hand-picked by Lemon out of over 40 applicants to compete in Toronto’s inaugural Legacy Pride Pageant in June 2025. Alongside appearing and performing on TD mainstages in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, Sahira has also appeared on Drag Brunch Saved My Life featuring Priyanka (Season 1, Episode 5).

Sahira works across drag, performance, film, design, and whatever else catches their attention. Their process begins with play: making something, noticing what it's doing, then following the connections that emerge. The medium changes. The method doesn't.

Sahira showcased the first rendition of their short experimental film A Dandy Lion’s Guide on How to Bloom from Rotted Roots during the 2025 Peterborough ArtsWeek.

  • Front page of The Peterborough Examiner newspaper with article about Black History Month and a photo of a performer in costume, along with other news articles and advertisements.
  • Front page of a newspaper article about musician Sahira Q. The article includes a photograph of Sahira Q performing, with her name written in neon lights on a wall behind her. The article discusses her work in songwriting, her inspiration from Afrodify, her musical approach, and her connection to Islamic folklore.
  • Three women standing in front of a TV screen, one with her arm raised, smiling and celebrating. The woman on the left is dressed in colorful, patterned clothing with a headwrap, the middle woman has long dark hair and black clothing, and the woman on the right has short hair, wearing a striped blazer. A poster and some wall fixtures are visible in the background.
  • A person dressed in futuristic, space-themed costume with armor and mesh, adjusting long black hair in a vibrant purple-lit club or stage setting.
  • A woman in a headwrap and black top stands at a microphone on stage, smiling. The image features colorful text that says, 'The Love Ball Shukran,' and a thank you message at the bottom, with the credit to Andy Carroll.
  • Person wearing a colorful patterned outfit with floral embellishments, a matching headwrap, and feathered red cuffs, standing against a light background.
  • A colorful informational board titled "SAHIRA THE DJINN" with sections on how to use drag to resist oppression, describing the drag style, activism, and personal thoughts. The board also features a black and white photo of a woman with head wrap and a yellow shirt, pointing directly at the viewer, decorated with sunflower stickers and a yellow background.
  • A woman in colorful, traditional African attire performing on stage with a DJ setup behind her and a digital backdrop featuring a large spider graphic and text.
  • A person with dark skin and makeup, wearing large pentagram earrings and a pink outfit, holds a large striped fabric or hat overhead while standing behind sheer white curtains.
  • A woman on stage holding a striped scarf above her head with both hands. She is wearing a black head covering, a pink and black outfit, and striped sleeves. The background features a shadowy projection of the word 'SAHIRA' in stylized font, with the logo 'JC Photography' in the lower right corner.
  • Person with bold makeup and jewelry, wearing vibrant, artistic clothing with floral and butterfly prints, posing among colorful flowers and greenery in an indoor setting.
  • Person with bold makeup and a netted head accessory, wearing a sleeveless vest and patterned clothing, standing beside a floral arrangement
  • A painting of a woman's face with bold makeup, large hoop earrings, and a yellow collar, overlaid with an abstract gold web pattern, set against a green background.
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Artist Statement

Assalamu alaikum.

Listen, I know that I could write a devastatingly coherent artist statement. Baby, the applications are getting funded. But let’s go a little deeper.

I recognize connections, select the ones that feel true, arrange them, refine them, and make something communicable. It's how I design, write, perform, and make meaning.

There was no blueprint for Sahira. I stumbled into drag and kept what interested me. Eventually, the djinn gave me language for something I was already doing: shape-shifting between forms, ideas, and identities. It also connected me to stories from my childhood in Zanzibar, where djinn were understood not as fantasy, but as active protectors of the land.

Sometimes that matters deeply to what I make.

Sometimes I just want to look hot.
Sometimes I’m hyper-focusing on video games for six weeks.
Sometimes I just need the money.

Those aren't exceptions contaminating the Serious Artistic Practice™.

That is my practice.

Published September 16, 2025.

Kawartha Now: Public Energy Performing Arts in Peterborough unveils its 32nd season lineup.

By Paul Rellinger.

Published September 16, 2025. Kawartha Now: Public Energy Performing Arts in Peterborough unveils its 32nd season lineup. By Paul Rellinger.

2025 Capital Pride Festival Weekend in Ottawa: What You Need to Know About Festivities and Road Closures.

Published by To Do Canada On August 22, 2025.

2025 Capital Pride Festival Weekend in Ottawa: What You Need to Know About Festivities and Road Closures. Published by To Do Canada On August 22, 2025.

June 25, 2025.

Pride Legacy Begins.

Written By Kevin Blondin.

June 25, 2025. Pride Legacy Begins. Written By Kevin Blondin.

 FAQs

  • I’ve been playing with gender and dressing eclectically for most of my life - but the first time I was paid to do it was when a friend asked me to perform a 'Lip Sync for Your Life'-style number at Market Hall for one of TQC's annual drag shows.

    I had no idea what I was stepping into.
    Something about it was really fun.
    I kept going.
    I acquired skills.
    Things accumulated.

    Eventually I looked backward and saw a djinn-shaped constellation.

  • In the world of drag, a drag child is someone you mentor - someone you guide as they come into their own artistry. It’s a chosen family dynamic rooted in care, legacy, and collective evolution. You help shape their drag, and in return, they shape you right back.

    Officially, I only have two drag children:

    • Betty Baker, the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough Public Library story time legend herself,

    • & Magnolia Knox, who I birthed in my living room.

    Each of them brings their own distinct magic to the stage. Watching them grow as performers, creators, and people is a joy beyond words. We’re not just performing together - we’re weaving a legacy.

  • Play generates. Editing makes meaning.