Afropolitan Festival

BOZAR stands as a unique platform in Europe that welcomes, in one central building, and on a continual basis, multidisciplinary contemporary artistic programmes from Africa and its Diasporas (exhibitions, debates, lectures, performances, events, and publications around art, architecture, design, fashion, literature, music, theatre, and film).

It is building up engagement on its Afropolitan platform from institutions of neighboring European countries. BOZAR also looks to develop future multi regional field projects, in the areas of art criticism, urbanity and design.

Dedicated staff and collaborators work within BOZAR’s artistic departments and with external partners to create programmes that are transversal in nature.

Their combined expertise lies in economics, international relations, cultural cooperation, cultural heritage, journalism, cultural policy, architecture, urbanism, scenography, and art history. They are in charge of new programming; collaborations with the Royal Museum for Central Africa and other institutions and associations; fundraising; and managing European projects.

BOZAR’s AFROPOLITAN platform aims to present the best of contemporary artistic creations linked to Africa and its Diaspora in Europe, to engage the mind, mix audiences, and open up perspectives for the next Africa Narratives at play. It is a platform for the ebullient creativity of young Afropolitan artists who bridge continents, cultures and influences, creating new artistic forms and discourses. The ultimate objective is to:

• Share a positive and contemporary image of Africa

• Fight against racism in Europe

• Engage diverse audiences in dialogue

Highlights of the platform:

• AFROPOLITAN FESTIVAL - annual 3-day multidisciplinary festival with artists and thinkers from African diasporas;

• AFROPOLITAN HUB - a physical and virtual meeting space in Brussels centre, a one-stop shop for audiences, institutions, experts and African cultural networks;

• AFROPOLITAN ARTTALKS - regular encounters with contemporary artists;

• CO-PRODUCTIONS - support to artists of the local diaspora.

About AFROPOLITAN FESTIVAL 2019 :

SYSTEME K. As in Système Kin, Système Kinshasa. For its third edition, the Afropolitan Festival, together with its partners, immerses itself in the Kinshasan and Congolese arts scene which surprises, inspires, plays with borders and nourishes life on both sides of the river Congo. The festival invites afrofeminists from Africa and Europe to share their work with the public, and is lucky enough to have an exceptional patron in the form of Cécile Djunga, actress, TV presenter and, the RTBF weather girl. A patron befitting such an eclectic event, with concerts, rap and dance battles, film screenings, exhibitions and debates, but also fashion shows, maker markets, food, workshops and children’s activities, making this intense, three-day festival a place of discovery and exchanges for all.