Building from the Dust @ Roundhouse

Date: 01/04/23

Time: 4:45pm

Throughout West Africa, the masquerade is an important figure in seasonal festivals and impromptu celebrations. Embodying powerful spirits of the community, they go by many names but are instantly recognisable.

But how might they have a place in the futures we want to see? How might our traditions inspire rooted design as we rethink our cities, our boroughs and the everyday services we use? What shared stories can we bring together in practical and creative ways?

From the guild figures of West Africa and Cuba; the carnival characters from New Orleans and Trinidad; from Notting Hill to the Afrofuturist costuming of George Clinton and Missy Elliot, this workshop combines an introduction to the histories of the masquerade, service design and global Black design practice to bring together communal visions of the future.

This workshop is part of the Futures program at the Roundhouse from 1st March to 14th April. Further information about the program can be found here.

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Future Stories Forum 23rd July at RISE

Manchester is officially the European City of Science for 2016 and we’re very happy to announce that our next event, Future Stories, will be hosted as part of the Science in the City Festival.

Join us for our free event on 23rd July where we’ll be looking at some of the biggest topics in science and tech today. Our special guests will include Dawn Edge and Ian Forrester who will be posing the questions they face in their every day research only this time, it’s up to us to find the answers!

Three Big Ideas.
Three Questions.
Can we find an answer?

Future Stories is an event where we gather to solve the big questions posed by science and technology. Combining citizen science with design thinking, we’re gathering people of different skills and backgrounds to make a difference to the big questions of today.

We’ll be hearing from experts working on the big fields in science and tech such as Big Data, Quantified Self, Psychology and Epigenetics. Together we’ll be creating new narratives shaped by our activities and discussions.

HOW IT WORKS

Each topic is split into 3 chapters:

Chapter One – The first chapter starts with guest talks from one of our three speakers where each speaker poses a question at the end.

Chapter Two – Is a space where we can respond to the question, beginning with ‘How?’.

Chapter Three – Collectively we start visioning through mindmaps, design ideas etc.

Together, we can create the solutions for futures.

Tickets are available on eventbrite. For more information, feel free to contact us via email to afrofutures.uk@gmail.com

An Interview with Ikem Nzeribe

In the run up to Future|Journeys on 21st May, we thought we’d do some quick takes with the various artists and hackers who will be joining the event. Designer, programmer, visionary and artist, Ikem Nzeribe is a co-founder and tutor at MossCode, a community Computer science lab where the future is coded…

 

AfroFutures_UK: So quick introduction – who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

Ikem Nzeribe: I’m Ikem Nzeribe! I’m from Manchester England, England (across the Atlantic Sea). I do many things, but I’m building a computer science laboratory in Moss Side – a historic, storied Black community.

An Interview with Nikky Norton Shafau

In the run up to Future|Journeys on 21st May, we thought we’d do some quick takes with the various artists and hackers who will be joining the event. Nikki Norton Shafau is a Manchester based artist who will be leading the Storybook workshop. Much of her work is focussed on using the transformative power of narrative to change our perceptions and destinies and we wanted to find out a little bit more about what makes her tick…

 

AfroFutures_UK: It’s so great to talk with you and I’m especially happy you’re going to be leading a workshop and a guest panellist on the 21st. Do you mind introducing yourself in your own words?

Nikky Norton Shafau: My name is Nikky. I am a little bit strange… I want to become a Storybook.

AF: What do you think defines your art?

NNS: I like exploring self, the unknown, reality and fantasy. I like being silly and serious. I am interested in african oral storytelling traditions, playing with the boundaries between ‘audience’ and artist and finding my own voice; sense of belonging.

An Interview with Christopher Lutterodt-Quarcoo

In the run up to Future|Journeys on 21st May, we thought we’d do some quick takes with the various artists and hackers who will be joining the event. First up is Christopher Lutterodt-Quarcoo, a London based artist who will be leading the ‘The Second Coming‘ workshop, an exploration of memory, slavery, genetics and how our past can interact with our futures…

AfroFutures_UK: So let’s start with an introduction to yourself and your work.

Christopher Lutterodt-Quarcoo: In short, I’m a ‘Cult Storyteller’ born in London, but I spent my early years growing up and traveling throughout Africa…

I find disregarded or lost perspectives and make them relevant, through time travelling. As a result I’m a Designer / Artist / Director & Writer and much more to come.