The Art Is Alive Festival is making its triumphant return to Brooklyn this month. The festival will make its return after a two-year hiatus resulting from the pandemic. The festival has now expanded to include artmaking, artist development workshops and even more performances. The Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation will present its fifth annual edition of Art Is Alive, on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. The event will be free to the public.
“We are excited to be able to bring back Art is Alive this year,” said Kofi Osei Williams, the executive director of the Foundation in a press release. “For over 20 years, our mission has been to fulfill our core tenets to Enrich, Educate, Entertain, and promote the importance of cultural performing arts to youth and adults in our community. Art Is Alive is our way of thanking and sharing African arts, music, and culture from the diaspora with our community at large.”
The multi-disciplined arts conference was established to present a multitude of art forms from an African and African diasporic experience to the community and to alleviate the financial barrier preventing some community members from participating in the cultural arts.
This year's Art Is Alive festival will include a full day of activities. These will include two Artist Development Workshops from 10:00am-12:00pm.
- How to become a DOE Vendor and receive your MTAC by Renee Smith
- Financial literacy for artists by Kobla Mensa Dente
From 12:00pm-2:00pm, enjoy youth performances from the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, Esota and Life Camp, Ife Youth Dance Theater, Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy and Brooklyn United.
Dance and drum classes will take place from 1:00pm-5:00pm. These include:
- Ian DaSilva teaching Modern Dance
- Lesina Martin teaching Djembe Dance and Song
- Caleb Bonney teaching Afrobeat Dance
- Mahiri Fajimba Keïta teaching Djembe Drumming
Featured performances will take place from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Guests will see performance from the Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, Arkestra Africa featuring Amma Whatt, Torch Dance Theater, Joseph Webb's Dancing Buddhas and ADH.
Art Is Alive will take place from 10:00am at Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave. in Brooklyn. Art Is Alive is a public event and welcomes attendees of all ages and backgrounds. Attendees interested in the workshops or classes need to register here.
