Local theatre opens
D'bi.young is an award-winning dub-poet, writer and theatre practitioner. The antiAFRIKA! dub theatre is an initiative born out of two years of professional development work with dub artist Ahdri Zhina Mandiela.
Dub theatre comes out of Jamaica and aims to tie art to the community and to social activism.
Now located in a studio space at 62 Fraser Ave. in Parkdale, d'bi.young said anitAFRIKA! dub theatre will be a place for emerging artists to showcase their work, encourage process and provide a forum for critical analysis between art and social activism.
The first event at the space will be a free arts festival called storyteller.groundings.fest in early August.
Artists from across the city will be invited to attend over the course of five days to talk about their process as artists.
"We are looking at each other's processes," she said. "Every night there will be youth performances that come out of our collective artistic process."
She said the festival will address topics that are about art and making changes in Toronto.
The theatre is holding a fundraiser to help make the free event happen. It's important, d'bi.young said, that all events are accessible so a hierarchy around the art is not created.
The fundraiser, with live performances and DJs, raffles, henna body art and a kissing booth, is on July 31 at 7 p.m. at 62 Fraser Ave.
Future initiatives at the theatre include workshops, creative-living courses, mentorship, theme-specific lectures, dramaturgy and directing, cross-cultural collaborations, touring productions, storytelling classes and performances.
Visit www.anitafrika.com for more information on the festival and the theatre.
