Photo: Artplaceamerica.org
Central Brooklyn, mark your calendars! Beginning Saturday, August 20 through Friday, August 26, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art presents the 7th Annual Soul of Brooklyn Festival!
For an entire week, residents can dive into a variety of activities that highlight the cultural depth and diversity of the borough they call home! By transforming local businesses and public spaces into destinations for groundbreaking art and music, the the festival increases the visibility and economic sustainability of African Diaspora culture and businesses in the borough. MoCADA's annual series brings art activations in the form of concerts, film screenings, workshops and visual art directly into local owned businesses and public spaces, creating new sites for artistic engagement.
On Saturday, August 20, the festival's launch day, attendees can enjoy shopping with local independent vendors, live music, art making for all ages, health and wellness workshops, plus an abundance of good vibes. Saturday's activities will take place from 1:00pm - 8:00pm, at Fort Greene Park (Myrtle Ave and N Portland Ave, BK 11205), featuring the Haitian rhythms of Bohio Music and AfroBeat from Chop & Quench (The Fela! Band), and more!
On Sunday, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm, at MoCADA, located at 80 Hanson Place, join AfroCROWD & MoCADA for a Wikipedia editing workshop on Artists of the African Diaspora. Afro Free Culture Crowdsourcing Wikimedia (AfroCROWD) is a new initiative which seeks to increase the number of people of African Descent who actively partake in the Wikimedia and free knowledge, culture and software movements. All levels & languages are welcomed. Please bring your laptops. Refreshments will be provided.
Monday, August 22 | DREAMS ARE COLDER THAN DEATH | Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Avenue | 6PM | Free
Fifty years have passed since the fabled March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. presented his dream. Now, the hopes and utopian desires of that dream have faded, leaving behind stains of diminished expectations and ancient, undying terrors. What does it mean to be Black in America today? Director and legendary cinematographer Arthur Jafa, alongside esteemed producer and filmmaker Khalil Joseph, tear at the epistemological roots of this question with hypnotic imagery, lyrical grace and an epic narration by a host of artistic visionaries, thought leaders and uncommon folks, including Kara Walker, Hortense Spillers, Fred Moten, Kathleen Cleaver, Charles Burnett, Wangechi Mutu, Saidiya Hartman and Melvin Gibbs, among others.
Screening starts at 7PM
Discussion to follow at 8PM
Tuesday, August 23 | BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK | MoCADA, 80 Hanson Place | 7PM | $10
Black is the New Black is an exploration of black culture and experiences through the perspective of visual performance artists Marguerite Hemmings and Ehizoje Azeke. The evening will feature Hemmings' We Free, a celebration of liberation and healing through social dance and Azeke'sBLACK MASCULINE, which examines portrayals of black men in popular music.
Wednesday, August 24 | MoCADA Market featuring BRAIDS by Shani Crowe | MoCADA, 80 Hanson Place | 7PM | $8
"BRAIDS is a series of photographic portraits celebrating the beauty and nuanced artistry of hair braiding. Influenced by an Afro-centric, non-linear time sense where past, present, and future are intertwined and concurrent, BRAIDS draws from a variety of eras."
Join MoCADA for a workshop with Shani Crowe. Come and celebrate an evening of culture and design that empowers self-expression while showcasing the best of the MoCADA Makers Trunk Show Series. Refreshments will be served!
Thursday, August 25 | #AFRODIESEL | CLOSING PARTY | Lovers Rock, 419 Tompkins Ave. | 6PM- 12AM | 21+ | FREE*
Join MoCADA for a night where Afrobeat meets Brooklyn Hip-Hop at Lovers Rock in Bed-Stuy. Entertainment provided by n—u.
In partnership with Habana Outpost, MoCADA presents #AFRODIESEL the Closing Party of the Soul of BK Festival. Media partners are Okayafrica and Stoop55. *Those that donate $15 to the museum get access to a special happy hour from 7- 8pm that is sponsored by 1800 Tequila, while supplies last.
Friday, August 26 |KIDflix Film Fest of Bed-Stuy! |Fulton Park | 7:30PM | FREE
Black Girls Rock, African Film Festival, Inc., and MoCADA are proud to bring you The 17th Annual KIDflix Film Fest of Bed-Stuy!, a free film festival for kids and families held every Friday night in August, in Stuyvesant Heights' Fulton Park.
This year, come enjoy stories about growing up Muslim: The Trials of Muhammad Ali, The Prophet, and Mooz-lum. As always, we close out each season with The Wiz Sing & Dance-Along!
Give-Aways! Contest! Prizes! Surprises! Come early for the DANCE PARTY with TRUEdj!
