A notable Toronto arts festival is celebrating 30 years this week! KUUMBA, Toronto’s largest and longest-running Black Futures Month festival, will kick off its 30th edition on February 1 at Harbourfront Centre.
The month-long, annual festival celebrates the vital contributions of Black creators with a range of accessible arts programming. KUUMBA30 will include music, dance, spoken word, and theatre performances, in addition to workshops, panels and parties.
Diana Webley, lead producer for KUUMBA, says that this year’s festival will focus on collective joy. “It’s important to get beyond the lived traumas and look at creating a safe space for healing so that we can continue, or in some cases, begin to move forward,” says Webley. “The arts have always been a soothing balm.”
As KUUMBA marks a milestone 30 years, Webley says the secret to the festival’s longevity is “evolving with the realities of the Black diaspora.” As a festival that looks to the future, Webley adds that KUUMBA’s legacy is built on pushing boundaries, continuing dialogue, and amplifying history while continuing to evolve. A key component is featuring Black artists across generations. “We have emerging and young artists and works alongside revered legends of Black music, film and theatre,” she says.
Another highlight of KUUMBA is the focus on accessible, community-based programming. Many of the events at KUUMBA are free, and several offer tickets from $5-$20. This year, there are plenty of opportunities for festival-goers to get involved, with hands-on workshops (learn to vogue!) and interactive experiences, including a wellness series. “It’s meaningful to be involved with such an important initiative that serves the community, is accessible, but also trail-blazing and innovative,” Webley says.
Some of the highlights from this year’s programming include:
On February 6, what would have been Bob Marley’s 80th birthday, an epic tribute concert will bring together Jay Douglas, Liberty Silver, Eddie Bullen, and Kairo McLean to honour his legacy in the genres of jazz, reggae, soul and blues.
Pause + Expand Wellness Series
Partake in a combination of meditation, guided visualization and sound therapy in this series of immersive experiences designed to support mental clarity and overall well-being. Leave feeling balanced, refreshed and grounded!
Rock Harder Breaking Competition
Canada’s premiere breaking event invites top breakers from around the world to showcase their skill and style. At this two-day competition, elite duos and emerging talent alike will battle it out for the top honours.
Two forces in dance come together to explore identity, the sociology of gender, heritage and dance culture. This dance duet will feature Krump prodigy Adeline Kerry Cruz and contemporary dancer Siaska Chareyre.
Other events to look forward to include screenings of the poignant documentaries A Mother Apart and Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story.
KUUMBA30 is running at Harbourfront Centre from February 1-28. View the full schedule of events here.
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