Fifth annual Africa Salon festival to celebrate arts and culture of the diaspora

Africa Salon, Yale’s celebration of contemporary African arts and culture, returns to New Haven Friday-Saturday, April 12-13.

The fifth annual festival will bring poets, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and musical artists to Yale and New Haven to showcase the diversity of art and culture throughout the African diaspora.

According to the organizers, at a time when contemporary African art is drawing more eyes than ever, the salon invites audiences to rethink their conceptions of the continent and diaspora — to watch, listen, and respond — and to celebrate the creation and complexity of contemporary African narratives.  

The 2019 lineup represents leading and emerging artists from across the diaspora, including Nigerian author Chiké Frankie Edozien, Sudanese health and wellness influencer Aala Marra ’14, and Ghanian artist Jojo Abot.

Sanctuary Kitchen, a local organization that promotes the culinary traditions, cultures, and stories of refugees and immigrants resettled in Connecticut, will cater a special food and culture event. This year, Africa Salon will also include two events commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide; these events were curated by Meredith Shepard, a postdoctoral associate at the MacMillan Center’s Council on African Studies. All events are free and open to the public. No advance registration required.

For details about this year’s festival, visit the Africa Salon website.

Africa Salon is supported by the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, and curated by Eilaf Elmileik (eilaf.elmileik@yale.edu), Woodbridge Fellow at the Yale Office of International Affairs.