PERFORMANCE & WORKSHOPS
Africa Fashion: Past, Present & Future
Image by Wild Hardt
Celebrating the exhibition Africa Fashion, intergenerational storytellers across spoken word, music and art are united each month for an afternoon of free activities, performances and talks for all ages curated by African-led organisations Next In Colour and Yo CiTY.
The series, titled Africa Fashion: Past, Present & Future, shares the influence of the past, pull of the present and hopes for the future of diasporan communities, acknowledging that each generation cannot exist without what came before and what is yet to come.
Africa Fashion: Past, Present & Future takes place across three Saturday afternoons on 20 July, 17 August and 21 September.
WHAT’S ON
12 – 12.30pm: STORIES FROM THE SALON
This storytelling session references the African hair salon as a communal space where topics around love, life, beauty and style play out. Set amongst a background of a fictional hair salon designed by Ethiopian-Norwegian artist, Olana Janfa, you can hear from African community members each month on what fashion and style mean to them.
Saturday 20 July - Anyuop Dau & One Sixth
Saturday 17 August – Kamble J Kambere & Flora Chol
Saturday, 21 September – Fatma Hussein and Effie Nkrumah
12.30 – 3PM: TEXTILE WORKSHOPS
Explore how African textiles have been used to demonstrate the wearer’s culture, social status or to commemorate an important event. Create a zine using African textiles in this workshop with Next In Colour.
Visitors can also enjoy a Somali weaving activity lead by Qaymi Arts and Crafts as well as drawing activities for children.
12 – 3PM: NEXT IN COLOUR PHOTO STUDIO
Use your phone to take a selfie in the Next In Colour Photo Studio, a homage to the makeshift photo studios, with their props and painted backdrops, that spread across Africa in the wake of independence.
1.15 – 2.15: AFRICAN JAM SESSION
Be immersed in an African jam session presented by Yo CiTY. Each month musicians Amadou Suso, Boubacar Gaye and Brotha Asanti unite for a session of improvised live music spanning traditional, popular and contemporary styles.