a vibrant discussion about CREATING SPACE TO RESIST & REPAIR - The case of Salvador, Bahia's Afro-Blocos. Aquataluxe Rodrigues, cultural producer with strong affiliations to the world-famous Afro-bloco Olodum, Negra Jho, dancer, actress, cultural activist and 6-time winner of the Ebony Queen competition of premier Afro-bloco, Ilê Aiyê who has been involved with many other Afro-blocos and Afro-Brazilian communities and Valeria Lima, professor and producer among many in areas focused on Afro-Brazilian populations, Afro-Blocos, Carnival in Bahia, Black women, beauty and sexuality will discuss their perspectives with Heather Mac Intosh-Simon.

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Salene Camille Griffith, on-air personality with Heartbeat Radio who has a passion for women's rights takes the opportunity to engage with Dr Kyrah Malika Daniels, whose research interests include sacred arts and ritual healing traditions in the Black Atlantic world, and Caroline Amanda Borges, Brazilian menstrual educator, systemic and integrative therapist and founder of @Yonidaspretas a virtual face to face space for women and menstruating people.

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Join us as we examine Trinidad's landmark Carnival and its roots in resistance and restitution as the New Management Paramin Blue Devils and photographer / visual artist Jordon Briggs engage with Caribbean culture, Carnival and Cultural Industries researcher and Co-ordinator of UWI St. Augustine's Cultural Studies programme, Dr Suzanne Burke.

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Join us as Tyker Phillip discusses YOUTH, BLACK IDENTITY & CIVIL SOCIETY with Kibwe Copeland, President of IKEMBE - the Caribbean's first youth-based organisation focused on reparation and Dr Nathalie Pierre, a historian of the African diaspora who has worked with the Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project and undocumented Haitian neighbours.

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This performance-lecture will expose Tobago’s musical legacy beyond the more commonly known sounds that have come to characterise the island’s musical heritage. Using the examples of Jazz and sacred music, the discussion by Dr Charleston Thomas, Justin Peterkin and friends is a musical demonstration that addresse Tobago’s history in the business of Jazz and sacred music-making and performing in the 20th century. This session is intended to provide participants with a deeper understanding of how music-making and performance on the island have figured as a central part of the island’s intellectual and political life. The musical selections will illustrate the music legacy of the island and will link the emotions of the Diaspora with those on the continent through lyrical address and the interplay between vocality and percussive musicality.

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Join us for the Conversations of Giants

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"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. –Frederick Douglass" Education plays a big role in black identity and black consciousness. Join Whitney-Amanda Horsham, school counsellor based in the Netherlands, Hughette Saul, an educator in Belize and Dr. Brent Maximin, a professor of psychology, researcher, and writer based in New York City. His research has primarily focused on positive identity development in adolescence and emerging adulthood. 

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Edwyn é um artista visual sergipano nordestino e Bruno um dançarino de Salvador, capital da Bahia. Venha ouvir como eles incorporaram tradições e como sua ancestralidade africana impacta suas práticas artísticas.

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Edwyn Gomes is a visual artist from the northeastern state of Sergipe in Brazil and Bruno de Jesus, a dancer from the city of Salvador, capital of Bahia, Brazil. Come hear how they have incorporated traditions and how their African ancestry impacts their artistic practices. Originally conducted in Portuguese but presented here with English voiceovers.

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The sacred stories of Santería are known as patakis (pronounced: pah-tah-KEES). They have been passed down orally from generation to generation for thousands of years, sometimes undergoing subtle transformations over time due to varying interpretative skills on the part of the storyteller, and sometimes due to linguistic and cultural shifts caused by migration to new lands. Join Rawle Gibbons as he chats with Janique Dennis and Adam Ade Ola Pascal about the Pataki and various elements of African Spirituality.

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