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Key Events to Mark Africa Day Announced
5/12/2009 08:48:57 PM
‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’ in Dublin, which takes place on Sunday, 24th May, will showcase the diversity of African food, music and traditions. The event, which is sponsored by Irish Aid, the Government’s programme for overseas development, will be family-focused. Specific elements for children will include storytelling, sports and art activities.
‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’ will mark the culmination of over 30 events, supported by Irish Aid, taking place around the country to mark Africa Day 2009. These include a family-focused event in the grounds of Limerick City Hall on Sunday, May 17th, featuring African and Irish performers, including Mundy, Cathy Davey, Republic of Loose and Niwel Tsumbu.
In Cork, Festival of Africa, a weekend of African music, dance, culture and food, takes place from 22nd – 24th May.
The Irish Film Institute in Dublin will host screenings to raise awareness of African culture on 24th May, while Trinity College Dublin will host a lecture in conjunction with the African embassies in Ireland on 25th May. Speakers, who will include Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power and Ambassador, Dr Tunji Olagunju, will address the topic, Africa Moving Forward.
Full details of the national programme, which was unveiled today (12.05.09) by Minister Power, are available on www.irishaid.gov.ie.
‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’
‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’ runs from 12 noon until 8pm, and entry is free of charge. Access will be through the Clonmel Street entrance to Iveagh Gardens (off Harcourt Street), and visitors are advised to use public transport to travel to the venue, as parking will be severely limited in the area.
The following are some of the main features of ‘Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens’:
Music
Headlining the main stage will be world-renowned Vieux Farka Touré, son of legendary Malian signer Ali Farka Touré. The latest addition to the main stage programme is Malawian chart-topper Kenny Gilmore, an 'Anglo-Afro-American' harmonica player and singer, who got his taste for music by picking up a harmonica in Malawi at 18 years of age and travelling all the way to New Orleans, USA, to learn how to play it.
Special guests on the main stage will include Cathy Davey; Kíla, who return to the event after participating in Africa Day celebrations last year; Irish-based Congolese musician Niwel Tsumbu; Liam Ó Maoinlaí; Frances Black and some very special acts (to be announced closer to the event). The Discovery Gospel Choir and Stone & Jezreel will also feature throughout the day.
African Bazaar
Numerous African countries will showcase elements of their culture and traditions in the African Bazaar. Among the activities taking place in this section of the event will be a mock village wedding, performed by the Association of Malawians in Ireland; a traditional coffee-making ceremony hosted by the Ethiopian Embassy; performances of traditional dance and music by the Guinean Society and drumming demonstrations by the Uganda Association of Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian, South African and Nigerian embassies will offer food sampling, while art and crafts will be displayed by the Kenyan, Lesotho and Ghanaian embassies.
Food
Apart from the free food samples in the African Bazaar area, visitors will be offered Heart of Africa dried fruits and nuts for sampling at various locations in the venue. Food can be purchased from the Silk Road Café restaurant and Safari Foods. Offerings will include Safari suya (African kebab); Safari mangrove fish (roasted fish); Safari chicken suya (barbeque chicken); African jollof rice (red rice), and Safari boli (roasted plantain with banana). Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic to the event, and there will be a designated picnic area in the venue.
Spoken Word
The spoken word section will include a discussion on sport in Africa and Ireland, hosted by Zimbabwean-born journalist and blogger, Itayi Viriri; reflections on travelling through Africa by travel writer, Manchán Mangan; a discussion on opportunities for sustainable development in Africa with UCD Professor, Frank Convery; and an exploration of African music with Lyric FM’s Gerry Godley.
Kids’ Stuff
Children will be able to make hieroglyphic bookmarks, African masks and rain-sticks during art workshops at the event. Meanwhile, African for All will facilitate African board game competitions: the board game that will be in use is sometimes referred to as the ‘African national game’ because of its immense popularity.
Storytelling workshops will be based on a soon-to-be-published book called 'Horses and Tortoises', which is being compiled by the Hugh Lane Gallery and some of the women from AkiDwA, the African Women’s Network. The workshops will explore fables and children's stories from Africa, and children will have the opportunity to create African-inspired origami animals.
To celebrate African families working with the organisation both overseas and in Ireland, Trócaire will host jigsaw-making activities. Visitors will be invited to try their hand at putting a giant jigsaw together, while blank mini-jigsaws will also be available, on which young visitors can draw their own families and – afterwards – bring their newly-created jigsaws home.
Sport
In a specially designated sports zone, the AfroIrish Kideo Youth Club will host a traditional African game called '25'. Participants will be placed on two teams: one team will have players at either end of the pitch and the other teams' players will be inside the pitch.
Meanwhile, SARI, the FAI, the GAA and the Camogie Association will host skills demonstrations and mini-competitions throughout the day. Activities will be geared towards both adults and children. Prizes will include ‘Africa Day 2009’ t-shirts, donated by Edun Live.
Other activities will include ‘Exteme Trampoline’; queues for this activity will be inevitable!
Arts and Crafts
Traditional African art and crafts and a photo exhibition will occupy the exhibition area. Some stalls will be in place whereby crafts can be purchased.