If you don't know...Troy Cabida

…Let me introduce you!

“By creating work for my own personal purposes, I end up creating work that makes space for other boys who have been made fun out of for being their own kind of boy.”

Troy Cabida is a poet and freelance creative producer based in London, from Las Piñas City, Metro Manila.

I asked Troy some questions!

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HALEY: How do you describe your work?

TROY: I’m never sure how to describe my writing in the anxious fear that I might oversell it, but I’m always interested in what other people think of them, and so far they’ve been positive.

On a normal week, I’d be working weekdays at the library or the crystal shop until the late afternoon before heading home to attend university (online!) and on my days off uni, I’d edit poems or do other things related to my writing. I’m very blessed to have my hands busy.

HALEY: What are your favourite projects that you’ve worked on?

TROY: “War Dove” - My debut poetry pamphlet which was published under Bad Betty Press in 2020. Love to Amy Acre and Jake Wild Hall!

Poetry and Shaah - A poetry open mic night based in south London that I run with Neimo Askar, Fahima Hersi, Poeticals Corner, Ayaan Abdullahi and Idil Abdullahi.

Liwayway Kolektibo - An arts and culture network that I curate with Jessica Manuel which we use to provide a platform for UK-based Filipina/o/x artists to collaborate and spotlight their work while doing so for charitable causes.

HALEY: Where did you train?

TROY: Barbican Young Poets and the Roundhouse Poetry Collective -- the time I spent there studying and experimenting with poetry was extremely valuable. The training I received are tools I’m able to use not only in my writing but in my other endeavours, as well. Shout outs to Jacob Sam-La Rose, Rachel Long, Bridget Minamore and Cecilia Knapp!

Currently, I’m doing my BA at Birkbeck, University of London in Psychosocial Studies, which is a crazy degree but it also helps me develop as a person and as an artist, as well as an academic.

HALEY: What are you working on?

TROY: I’m currently interested in using poetry to explore comfort, freedom and joy in queerness, things that are often made to be difficult to achieve and settle into due to institutionalised homophobia and racism that plague the queer body on a daily basis. I’ve also been writing about clothing and how they help form or challenge an identity, as well.

HALEY: What artist(s) do you look up to?

TROY: Janelle Monáe, Patty Jenkins, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Olsen, Romalyn Ante, RA Villanueva, Cynthia Miller, Franny Choi, Richard Scott, Joseph Legaspi, Terrance Hayes, Kylie Minogue, Eva Noblezada, Zild, Karylle, Troye Sivan and of course, the almighty BTS.

I find myself inspired by artists who wear multiple hats and know how to style those hats effortlessly too, may that be multiple disciplines, projects or day jobs. They make me believe that anything can be achieved.

HALEY: Anything else?

TROY: #StopAsianHate.

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Follow Troy on Instagram and Twitter!

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