Khalida Popal In Conversation
With Khalida Popal and Miriam Walker-Khan
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Date: Tue 23 June
Time: 19:30 - 21:00
Venue: Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Crucible Theatre
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ABOUT THE EVENT
For Khalida Popal, football is a force for good.
The co-founder of the Afghanistan women’s national football team empowers refugee and migrant girls and women through her movement for equality.
Despite being forced into exile because of her activism, she leads a global movement for equality through sport, the Girl Power Organisation.
Khalida will share her incredible story in conversation with Miriam Walker-Khan, just before the FIFA World Cup England vs Ghana kick-off.
There will also be an opportunity to buy Khalida’s award-winning book, My Beautiful Sisters, sharing the moving stories of Afghan women who dared to play and resist.
Event Format & Information
19:00 - Doors open
19:00-19:30 - Attendees arrive and find a seat
19:30-20:30 - The speakers will talk from the stage
20:30-21:00 (approximately) - Q&A with the audience, participation is optional.
21:00 - Event ends
During the event, attendees will be expected to sit and listen.
During the Q&A section of the event, attendees have an opportunity to ask questions. These can be asked verbally or sent to the talk host via Slido software. Participation is optional.
Attendees can leave at any time. Please be advised that the seating is in close proximity to the stage. If you are seated on Stage Level, you will have to walk partly across the stage to leave. If you think you may need to leave before the end, it is advised to find a seat on Tier 1 or Tier 2 as this will be least disruptive to the performance.
Audio: Microphones will be used at this event. Free earplugs are available at the ticket desk if needed.
Lighting: Static lighting with some coloured backlight to highlight the speakers
Projections / lasers / visual effects: There will be a video screen with a projection of the festival’s logo throughout the event, and rolling content when attendees arrive and find their seat.
Quiet space: There is no dedicated quiet space available, however there is a public cafe area with seating separate from the event that can be used.
Seating: This is a seated event without allocated seat numbers. The Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse has seating on three levels: Stage, Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Stage level seating is accessible for those with mobility requirements. Seating at stage level is tiered and a small number of level access seats are available, as well as two dedicated wheelchair spaces.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 seating are accessible by steps only.
If you have access needs and/or further questions, please contact access@migrationmattersfestival.co.uk so we can reserve your seat.
Venue Accessibility
Detailed access information for Crucible Theatre is available on their website and AccessAble.
Website - https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/your-visit/access-facilities
AccessAble - https://www.accessable.co.uk/sheffield-city-council/access-guides/crucible-theatre
If you have any questions regarding accessibility for this event, please contact us at access@migrationmattersfestival.co.uk.
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Khalida Popal is the founder of Girl Power Organisation and former captain & co-founder of the Afghanistan’s women’s national football team.
A leading voice for women’s rights in sport, she was forced into exile due to her activism. From exile, she continues to build a global movement using football as a tool for empowerment, leadership, and inclusion for refugee and migrant women and girls.
Khalida is also the author of the award-winning sports book of the year, My Beautiful Sisters, which tells the powerful story of Afghan women who fought for the right to play, speak, and be seen.
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Miriam Walker-Khan is a multi-award-winning freelance sports reporter, presenter and writer. She specialises in storytelling in women’s sport, around race and racism, para-sport and topics related to diversity and inclusion, with specialist knowledge in women’s football and Olympic sports - especially track and field, which was her sport growing up. For the past three years, Miriam was working as Diversity and Inclusion at reporter at Sky Sports News - the first in the sports media industry.
In her role at Sky Sports, Miriam presented and co-produced several documentaries including a deep-dive into English cricket for South Asian players in the aftermath of its recent racism scandals, Beyond the Boundary. In 2024, she presented and co-produced Football’s Hidden Talent, Fit for Purpose in 2023, the Represent series and is the presenter/co-producer of the series Real Talk, which won Podcast of the Year at the 2025 Broadcast Sport Awards.
As well as her documentary and features work, Miriam is experienced in working at some of the world’s biggest sporting events. In 2024 she reported for Sky Sports News at both the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and in 2025 she reported at the UEFA women's football European Championships in Switzerland. For BBC Sport in 2021, Miriam was sent to Tokyo as a producer (TV and radio) for the Paralympic Games.
Prior to her role at Sky, Miriam worked at BBC Sport for six years, from a trainee on the BBC News Journalism Trainee Scheme (the sole sport traineeship) to a Senior Reporter for younger audiences and digital platforms, as well as reporting on Match of the Day, Football Focus, MOTDx and being a quarter of the Question of Sport podcast. She also freelanced as both a producer and assistant producer for BBC Sport TV News, World Service radio, BBC Africa TV and Newsround. Miriam was co-Chair of BBC Sport’s BAME Advisory Group and became the first BBC Sport representative to receive a place on the BBC News Next Generation Panel. But her career began in writing, as the editor of track and field website Vinco Sport. Since 2018, her work has featured the New York Times, Guardian Opinion, Men's Health, Dazed and gal-dem magazine amongst others.
EVENT INFO
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£12 | £9 | £3
For more information about our ticketing approach, please visit:
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Doors Open: 19:00
Running Time: 19:30 - 21:00 -
Event Format & Information
See the ‘Event Format & Information’ section for detailed information
Venue Accessibility
This is a seated event without allocated seat numbers.
The Playhouse has seating on three levels: Stage, Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Stage level seating is accessible for those with mobility requirements. Seating at stage level is tiered and a small number of level access seats are available, as well as two dedicated wheelchair spaces.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 seating are accessible by steps only.
If you have access needs and/or further questions, please contact access@migrationmattersfestival.co.uk so we can reserve your seat.
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Age Guidance: All Ages
Content Warning: There are no content warnings for this event
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Photography Credit: Dana Roesiger