African Arts Institute is proud to announce a new event: Africa and the World Arts Symposium, happening October 15-17 in Belleville, Ontario. The event includes a series of workshops, seminars, a community dinner, and a culminating performance presentation.

The workshops allow you to directly experience African Arts including batik making, African drumming, dance, spoken word poetry, visual arts, and storytelling. By learning from professional artists and culture carriers, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of African culture.

We will explore how many cultures share things in common, such as the drumming workshop that features African, Indigenous, and European drums. We learn about the commonalities of the drums, the shakers, and other percussion instruments. Participants are invited to share about their experiences of drums and rhythms in their own cultural contexts and family histories.

The seminar portions of the event will feature key speakers presenting talks and participating in panel discussions.

The culminating concert features Amadou Kienu Folila performance group, and takes place alongwide a community dinner.

Finally, we will showcase a local visual artists in an exhibition connected to the concert. With these artists, coupled with a lively dinner and exciting performance in the round, we hope to recreate the exciting and busy vibe of an African village.