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The Audre Lorde Works-In-Progress Festival, named in honour of self-described black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet, African-Caribbean-American r/evolutionary Audre Lorde. This is The Watah Schools inaugural week-long exploration of trans-disciplinary works of art. Featuring 25 artists-in-residence sharing over 20 new works, the festival is curated by Watahs Artistic Director, dbi.young anitafrika. Pioneer of dub-poet, comedian Owen Blakka Ellis is the Festival Guest of Honour.
Venues: The Watah School & Dancemakers
9 Trinity Street #317 & #313
Distillery Historic District
Date: Mar 24-28 6:30pm-10:30pm
FREE Youth Arts Day Mar 28, 1pm-4pm
Wholistic Health Day Mar 29,, 1pm-4pm
Tickets: Single $10 / Festival Pass $55
tinyurl.com/audrelordefest
Info: admin@watah.org / 416.868.9282
d’bi young anitafrika 647-303-4465
Sashoya Simpson 647-920-6248
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
OPENING NIGHT
Tuesday March 24, 2015 6:30PM-10:30PM $10-$15
Featured Artists: Sylvia Limbana Performing Artist Training Intensive PATI Collective NEED, a play by Audre Lorde She Mami Wata by d’bi young anitafrika
Special Guest – Owen Blakka Ellis
Wednesday March 25, 2015 6:30PM-10:30PM $10
Featured Artists: Paul Ohonsi Anique Jordan Clover Fannin Jordan Laffrenier Jasbina Misir She Mami Wata by d’bi young anitafrika
Thursday March 26, 2015 6:30PM-10:30PM $10
Featured Artists: Babette Burrell Faduma Mohamed Vero Diaz Laura Kelsey Rideout Angaer Arop She Mami Wata by d’bi young anitafrika
Friday March 27 2015 6:30PM-10:30PM $10
Featured Artists: SashOYA Simpson Halima Nuri Tristan Dryden Najla Edwards Jermaine Henry She Mami Wata by d’bi young anitafrika
Saturday March 28, 2015 1PM-4PM FREE ADMISSION
Watah Our Roots Youth Arts Day
Saturday March 28, 2015 6:30PM-10:30PM $15
Featured Artists: Zak’isha Brown Luke Reece She Mami Wata by d’bi.young anitafrika Performing Arts Training Intensive PATI collective creation NEED, a play by audre lorde
Sunday March 29, 2015 1PM-4PM $15
Wholistic Health Day Featuring Diverse Healers
Festival Closing Party: 11pm onwards on Mar 28th.
ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS $55
#WatahOurRoots Watah Funding Drive
www.tinyurl.com/watahourroots
Owen Blakka Ellis is welcomed & honoured as our special guest artist launching the Audre Lorde Festival.
Owen Blakka Ellis
A longstanding drama educator, Ellis has worked as assistant director to Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka on the Kingston production of his play The Beatification of Area Boy. He also directed and performed in the award winning innovative production Tings a Gwaan and was writer/director for the ground breaking experimental drama ‘Tick Tock. Writer/director, actor/comedian teacher and musician, Ellis has been a part of the Caribbean arts landscape for over three decades. His acting credits include appearances in ABC TV series Going to Extremes, Keystone Family Pictures Spymate, Warner Brothers Club Paradise, the Jamaican blockbuster Dancehall Queen and numerous Jamaica theatrical productions, music videos, and television/radio commercials.
The Watah School, founded by dub artist storyteller d’bi.young anitafrika, re-envisions artistic development from the inter-sectional anti-oppressive perspectives of artists who are Black and racialized, womben, newcomers and LGBTQQl2PSAA people. Watah is a call to action to recognize the depths of healing art provides us, and is a loving recognition that now, here, in our city it is time to create an institution that is w/holistic.
From its inception, in 2008 as anitafrika dub theatre to present, The Watah School has supported the growth of over 500 artists, including instigators such as Che Kothari, Liza Paul, Kim Katrin Crosby, Randell Adjei and Lishai Peel, just to name a few. Come to the Audre Lorde Festival & experience the new artists-n-residence blossoming in the global garden of possibilities.
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