Culture
The Africa Week academic programme content will be complemented by a rich cultural programme, which will reflect something of the vibrancy and diversity of African artists.
There will be musical, spoken word and dance performances as part of the opening and closing ceremonies, a screening of an African film maker's work on the first conference day and of course a diverse programme in Celebrating Africa on Africa Day itself!
22nd May - Opening Ceremony
Simeon Walker
Accompanying Thanda on keyboard/piano.
Khadijah Ibrahiim
Khadijah will participate in all 3 days of the conference as ‘Poet in Residence’.
22nd May - Cinema Africa!
All delegates are welcome to join us at Hyde Park Picture House after the conference for a film viewing.
23rd May - Howard Assembly Room – Opera North
African Tales
Boston-based string quartet Castle of Our Skins joins forces with sought-after pianist Samantha Ege for African Tales - an evening of boundary-defying spiritual storytelling that will leave you with a sense of fortitude and hope.
This curation of chamber music by composers from Africa and the diaspora celebrates an array of lives and histories and explores Black heritage and culture within music.
Powerful compositions for piano trio by Undine Smith Moore and piano quintet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen respond to the distressing history of apartheid, followed by the exciting UK premiere of Lavell Blackwell's On the Impulse to Move for string quartet, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet.
This curation of chamber music by composers from Africa and the diaspora celebrates an array of lives and histories and explores Black heritage and culture within music.
Powerful compositions for piano trio by Undine Smith Moore and piano quintet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen respond to the distressing history of apartheid, followed by the exciting UK premiere of Lavell Blackwell's On the Impulse to Move for string quartet, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet.
24th May - Closing Ceremony
Khadijah Ibrahiim
Khadijah will participate in all 3 days of the conference as ‘Poet in Residence’.
25th May - Celebrating Africa Community Day
Ndidi Nkwopara - Organiser
Ndidi has developed a varied cultural programme to celebrate African performance and art.
Sharon Watson MBE, DL
Speaker
Sandile Duma - The Zulu Stomp
Sandile Duma is a native of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and is now based in Huddersfield. He is a respected vocalist, dancer and drummer who specialises in traditional African music and choreography.
Dabie Simul
Dabie Simul, a dance teacher, teaches Kudoro, the revolutionary dance that emerged from Angola.
Ethiopian Wetatoch
Ethiopia is home to over 90 ethic groups, each with their own distinct style of dances and music. This performance will focus on 5 popular dances from 5 different Ethiopian tribes:
- Eskista, from the Amhara region
- Guragigna, from the Gurage ethnic group,
- Oromia, reflecting the Oromo people's culture
- Tigrinya, Hailing from the Tigray region
-Wolaytya, from the Wolayta tribe
- Eskista, from the Amhara region
- Guragigna, from the Gurage ethnic group,
- Oromia, reflecting the Oromo people's culture
- Tigrinya, Hailing from the Tigray region
-Wolaytya, from the Wolayta tribe