Join Krannert Art Museum and the Center for African Studies for a community celebration to end the Fall 2023 Global African Community Forum. Free and open to the public, this event features museum tours, hands-on activities, live music, and food!
Live Music
12pm-12:25pm
Pre-Recorded Music/Playlist
12:25pm
Brief Welcome from Festival Organizers
12:30pm-1pm
Ngoma Africa Ensemble
Ngoma Africa Ensemble is a captivating African drum ensemble led by Jean Rene Balekita. The ensemble’s drumming repertoire draws from central and Western Africa, synchronized with interlocking drum patterns and djembe drumming techniques.
1pm-2pm
Jean Rene Balekita y Bomoyi
Jean-René Balekita specializes in music traditions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has toured extensively in Europe and the US with the band Bomoyi, performing his original compositions based on a blend of Congolese Rumba and Gospel styles.
2pm-3pm
Pre-Recorded Music/Playlist (during soccer game)
Workshops
12:15pm-1pm
Make Your Own Soccer Ball: African Style! - all ages
This plastic ball, fondly known as ‘Ajuala’ or ‘Lifundo’ in Luo and Luhya communities, respectively, in Kenya, is a common feature in the villages where children can be seen playing this improvised ball, mostly barefooted. This is more than a ball. It is a testament to the tenacity and ingenuity of African children who love soccer and are unwilling to let a lack of resources stand in the way. Join Byron Juma, doctoral candidate in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism, for a workshop in designing a soccer ball from recyclable materials for folks of all ages. A limited number of recycled grocery bags will be provided by Krannert Art Museum and visitors are welcome to bring their own from home, too!
About Byron Juma
Byron Juma is a doctoral candidate in the Recreation Sport and Tourism department. His research interest is in sport development and ethical issues in sports. Currently, he is focusing on the use of drugs in sport. His desire to participate in the Global African Community Forum is to showcase African creativity and resource mobilization skills. Though soccer was introduced in Africa during the colonial period, the local people embraced it, and it became popular in Africa. This plastic ball is a powerful symbol of the passion and joy of soccer and a stark reminder of the poverty and hardship that children in most African communities face.
1:15pm-2pm
African Pottery Workshop for Children and Caregivers
Recommended for children 5 and older (younger with a caregiver).
The art of pottery is a long-standing tradition in the Luhya community of Western Kenya. An intergenerational practice, women have often passed down techniques and traditions to future generations, making pottery for use in everyday life and as a source of income. Join Dr. Anne Namatsi Lutomia, University of Illinois alum and postdoctoral research associate at Purdue University, for a workshop in the art of African pottery-making for children and youth, together with their caregivers. The workshop includes a brief overview of pottery techniques and traditions from Kenya and Togo, followed by a chance to make your own small round pot with colorful modeling clay!
About Anne Namatsi Lutomia
Anne Namatsi Lutomia is a Post-doctoral Research Associate in the departments of Department of Agricultural Sciences, Education and Communication and Entomology at Purdue University with the Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) program. She holds a doctoral degree in Human Resource Development with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been involved in Krannert Museum Art activities related to Africa. During the Global Africa Community Forum she will hold a pottery making session as practiced by the Luhya community in western Kenya.
