Join us, in collaboration with The Shabazz Center for our March children’s art education program honoring the contributions of women, past and present, to the culture and traditions of the African Diaspora.
On March 12th from 1 - 5 PM, families with children of all ages and gender will take part in art therapy reflecting upon the women in their lives, they’ll engage in physical movement through the exploration of dance traditions created by our femme forebearers, and dive into ancestral practices of African garment design that embody women’s stories.
This month’s Sou Sou! Saturdays program will showcase a cohort of all women facilitators who are moving and shaking in their artistic disciplines while creating the spaces for our community to do the same.
As we collectively commemorate Women’s History Month throughout March, we look forward to gathering with our community in honoring the matriarchs, healers, tradition holders, and storytellers who ensure future generations know their ancestors, leaders and heritage.
Creative Art Therapy Workshop w/ Angelica Crespo
A reflective workshop through which participants will connect with their minds and bodies. Families will unpack the women and femmes in their homes, communities, and world to create a piece of art while utilizing somatic therapy to connect it back to their bodies.
Young people will develop a poem and/or art piece utilizing fabrics, sticks, construction paper, and magazines that answers questions on the most important woman/girl in their lives through reflection on how she makes them feel, her smell, what foods come to mind, music, etc. The intention is to utilize the ways in which non-traditional therapy with roots in Black and Indigenous ideology can be transformative for young people’s awareness of self while also engaging in their creativity.
Mujeres en Ritmo w/ Bombazo Dance Co.
A deep dive into the connection between the universal experience of hearing/feeling our first percussion sound, our mother’s heartbeat, and rhythm in dance. Mujeres en Ritmo is a Bomba & Plena workshop that honors the women who have kept this traditional dance form alive and thriving. Milteri Tucker, founder of Bombazo Dance Co., will lead participants through this centuries-old Afro Puerto Rican musical tradition, share its rich history, and get us up and moving as we celebrate women as the introducers of percussion to humanity.
Our Mother’s Traditions w/ Fatima Logan-Alston
A fashion design workshop that uses miniature mannequins to create unique looks that embody the theme of women's stories, legacies, and traditions of mothers. The goal of the workshop is to engage intergenerational communities in a collaborative practice of design and craft using African patterns and aesthetic approaches to explore self-awareness, self-definition, and celebrate women's history by defining our own perception of beauty, design, and fashion functionality in this craft practice.
Please help us to plan properly by registering in advance. Registration does not guarantee a reserved spot for any workshops. Admittance is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
There is limited capacity for each workshop. Allow ample time for check-in which will begin at 12:30 PM. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times.
This event may be subject to change.
This event will require all participants ages 16+ to wear a mask at all times. Additionally, all participants must adhere to the NYC indoor public activities vaccination requirement effective on the date of this event.
Inspired by the financial resource-sharing traditions known throughout the African Diaspora by such names as "Colecta", "Box Hand", "San", "Partna", or "Sou-Sou", this family-based art and education program reinterprets Sou Sou as an exchange of cultural resources.