Deloitte Ignite Saturday

Saturday 1 September – Free daytime events

Covent Garden Piazza

Africa on the Piazza
Saturday 2pm-10pm

This two-day series of open-air screenings in the heart of Covent Garden was curated by Yinka Shonibare and John Akomfrah, founding member of the Black Audio Film Collective. Africa on the Piazza presented some of the most exciting and innovative African films, from classics of the 1950s to modern-day blockbusters, as well as works by seminal directors Ousmane Sembène and Souleymane Cissé. And all for free!

Full details of the Saturday film programme.
Full details of the Sunday film programme.

Crush Room and Lambert Studio

Saturday  2.15pm-3pm, 3.30pm-4.15pm
Drumming workshops

Saturday 3.15pm-4pm, 4pm-5pm
Storytelling workshops

IRIE! dance theatre led a series of exciting dance, drumming and storytelling workshops. IRIE! dance theatre is Britain’s leading African peoples dance company working in the field of education and community. The workshops were aimed at increasing awareness and appreciation of dance and music deriving from Africa and the Caribbean.

Clore Studio Upstairs

Saturday 2.30pm-3.15pm, 3.45pm-4.30pm
Dance workshops

Saturday 4.45pm-5.30pm
Drum and dance sharing

More exciting dance and drumming workshops from  IRIE! dance theatre.

Saturday 12.30pm-2.00pm
Alesandra Seutin lecture/demonstration

Early in 2012, Alesandra Seutin, artistic director of Vocab Dance Company, participated in a contemporary African dance project with the renowned Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny. In this fascinating lecture and demonstration, she shared her experiences and explored how traditional African dance can be fused with Western classical and contemporary movement.

Linbury Studio Theatre

Saturday 2.30pm-3pm, 3.45pm-4.15pm
Sensual Africa (Tavaziva Dance)

Tavaziva Dance, established in 2004 by Zimbabwean-born Bawren Tavaziva, is renowned for its unique fusion of African and contemporary dance styles. Sensual Africa was created following Bawren Tavaziva’s trip to Malawi, one of Africa’s most beautiful and diverse countries, and was inspired by the music and rituals of the Tumbuka and Chewa peoples.

Saturday 4.45pm-5.45pm
Yinka Shonibare MBE film showing

This unique screening of three films by Yinka Shonibare MBE included Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) (2004),  Odile and Odette (2005) made in collaboration with the Royal Opera House, and Addio del Passato (2011).

Paul Hamlyn Hall

Saturday (exhibition) 12noon-6pm
Saturday (concert) 7pm-8pm

Victor Gama – Instrumentos

An interactive exhibition of contemporary instruments designed and built by composer Victor Gama took place in the Paul Hamlyn Hall. Gama developed an impressive array of instruments over the past 20 years, drawing inspiration from his own native Angolan folk music and from instruments played throughout the African diaspora. Gama took part in a concert using the instruments, alongside musicians from Angola and Portugal.

Ticketed evening events