{"id":433081,"date":"2025-09-18T07:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433081\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T07:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:21:13","slug":"free-african-dance-festival-heads-to-liverpool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433081\/","title":{"rendered":"Free African dance festival heads to Liverpool"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This month, Liverpool will host one of the most exciting cultural events of the year: the\u00a0African Routes Festival 2025, a\u00a0two-day, free celebration of African and diasporic dance, music and heritage\u00a0at\u00a0The Black-E\u00a0\u2014 the vibrant culture and arts centre located at Chinatown.<\/p>\n<p>Bringing together internationally acclaimed artists, pioneering choreographers and community voices, the festival offers masterclasses, workshops, discussions and world-premiere performances that honour African cultural roots while spotlighting innovation in contemporary dance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day one: Saturday, September 27<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Day one launches with a\u00a0rich programme of talks, workshops, and performances, including a fascinating talk from artistic director of Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica,\u00a0Marlon Simms, and a Masterclass workshop from Michael Jackson and Beyonce\u2019s choreographer\u00a0LaVelle Smith Jnr. The exciting programme of events culminates in the spectacular\u00a0UK premiere of\u00a0Keha Seebii\u00a0by IRIE! dance theatre.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>10.30am \u2013 12pm:\u00a0Arrivals, Welcoming remarks and Black Dance Lecture\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Marlon D Simms\u00a0\u2014 enjoy an enlightening talk from the artistic director Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica!<\/li>\n<li>12.15pm \u2013 1.15pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Masterclass 1 \u2013 LaVelle Smith Jr.\u00a0\u2014 One of the highlights of the festival, LaVelle Smith Jr. is a world-renowned choreographer and dancer who worked alongside\u00a0Michael Jackson for 23 years\u00a0and has created iconic moves for\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9, Usher, Janet Jackson, Destiny\u2019s Child and more. Festival-goers will have the rare chance to learn from the artist behind some of pop culture\u2019s most iconic dance moments<\/li>\n<li>1pm\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Free Lunch\u00a0\u2014 Enjoy a free lunch at The Black-E and indulge in delicious and nutritious African Caribbean cuisine<\/li>\n<li>2pm \u2013 3.15pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Panel Discussion \u2013 In Slavery\u2019s Wake: Healing &amp; Repair through African Dance and Music\u00a0(Chair: Dr Leona Vaughn)<\/li>\n<li>3.30pm \u2013 4.30pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Workshop 1 \u2013 Ubuntu: Response to Wellbeing<\/li>\n<li>4.30pm \u2013 5.15pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Workshop 2 \u2013 Singing with IRIE! Dance Theatre<\/li>\n<li>5.30pm \u2013 6.30pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Untold Stories of a Carnival Queen\u00a0\u2013 Ithalia Johnson<\/li>\n<li>7.30pm \u2013 9pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Main Event: UK Launch of\u00a0Keha Seebii\u00a0by IRIE! Dance Theatre\u00a0(Doors open 6.30pm)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keha Seebii\u00a0is a profound new work motivated by the tragic loss of lives in the\u00a0New Cross Fire of 1981. <\/p>\n<p>Through the\u00a0universal language of movement, IRIE! dance theatre honours memory, resilience and community, weaving prayer, gesture, and rhythm into a performance that transcends time and space.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JS381404826.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" width=\"1754\" height=\"1240\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Day two: Sunday, September 28<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Day two continues the celebration with a focus on\u00a0community, creativity and cross-generational exchange. <\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re looking to learn how to breakdance, Afro Dance, try your hand at drumming or witness the spectacular Main Event performance, there\u2019s a wide range of things to get involved in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>10.30am \u2013 12pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Welcoming \/ Inspirational Keynote\u00a0\u2013 Wanjiku Nyachae &amp; Karen Gallagher<\/li>\n<li>1215pm \u2013 1.15pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Breakdance Workshop\u00a0\u2013 Dockside Breakers<\/li>\n<li>1.15pm \u2013 2.30pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Black Dance Forum\u00a0\u2013 Louise Katerega (with Gerrard Martin, Karl C. Newsam, Bernard Pierre-Louis &amp; Keisha Grant)<\/li>\n<li>2.15pm\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Free Lunch\u00a0\u2014 Enjoy a free lunch at The Black-E and indulge in delicious and nutritious African Caribbean cuisine<\/li>\n<li>3.30pm \u2013 4.30pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Drumming Workshop\u00a0\u2013 Felix Ologbosere<\/li>\n<li>4.45pm \u2013 5.45pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Afro Dance Fusion Workshop\u00a0\u2013 Wendy Okoli<\/li>\n<li>5.45pm \u2013 7pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Bend Down Low Community Showcase\u00a0\u2013 Curated by Maxine Brown<\/li>\n<li>7.30pm \u2013 8.30pm\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Main Event: UK Launch of\u00a0Keha Seebii\u00a0by IRIE! Dance Theatre\u00a0(Doors open 7pm)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Andrea Vaz, CEO, The Black-E, said:\u00a0\u201cThis is another opportunity to continue to position The Black-E as a hub for black dance development and to ensure the global majority can engage with and experience all forms of ART in our magnificent building. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As we move forward to celebrate our 60 anniversary in 2027, we strive to ensure The Black-E continues to be that hub.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>A festival for everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0African Routes Festival 2025\u00a0is more than a dance event \u2014 it is a gathering of communities, a recognition of history and a joyful celebration of movement as a force for healing, connection and transformation. <\/p>\n<p>With all sessions\u00a0free to attend, the festival invites dancers, musicians, students, families and curious newcomers alike to share two days of energy, artistry and culture in the heart of Liverpool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Event details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What: African Routes Festival<\/li>\n<li>When: Saturday, September 27 &#8211; Sunday, September 28<\/li>\n<li>Where: The Black E, 1 Great George Street, Liverpool, L1 5EW <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> For tickets, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/african-routes-2025-equal-measures-tickets-1559385687569?aff=oddtdtcreator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/african-routes-2025-equal-measures-tickets-1559385687569?aff=oddtdtcreator<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit The Black-E\u2019s\u00a0website: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblack-e.org\/event\/african-routes-2025-day-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.theblack-e.org\/event\/african-routes-2025-day-1\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow The Black-E on\u00a0Facebook: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheBlackELiverpool\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.facebook.com\/TheBlackELiverpool<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theblack_e_liv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.instagram.com\/theblack_e_liv\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Location: Liverpool<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This month, Liverpool will host one of the most exciting cultural events of the year: the\u00a0African Routes Festival&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,4884,12893,179,20552,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-433081","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-inyourarea-community","12":"tag-liverpool","13":"tag-liverpool-echo","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115224096739811648","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}