NEWS RELEASE
BRADFORD LIBRARY
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Olundara Foundation and The Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library and Cultural Centre are thrilled to announce the African Experience Festival, a free and family-friendly three-day event taking place between July 3–6 in the Zima Room at the BWG Public Library and Cultural Centre. Come and celebrate Black and African culture through fashion, food, story-telling and more.
Festival Highlights:
Wednesday July 3: Come by the African Experience Festival Kick-Off event which will include a fashion show as well as guest speakers discussing African film, culture, and community. Doors open at 5PM in the Zima Room. Fashion show begins at 6PM.
Thursday July 4: Join us with the family as we celebrate Black and African storytelling with an author and Afro-Caribbean Storyteller! Event begins at 5:30PM in the Zima Room.
Saturday July 6: Olundara Foundation is working with the Bradford Farmer’s Market to have a few Black-led Pop Ups in the outdoor market as well as inside the Library Café! Event begins at 9AM at the Bradford Farmer’s Market and 11am inside the Library Café.
The African Experience Festival is organized by Olundara Foundation, led by BWG resident Omolara Akerele. Akerele is a mental health professional, cognitive behavioral coach, and community organizer passionate about advancing mental health development and celebrating Black identity within our community.
This initiative is part of the BWG Library’s monthly Culture@BWG series. The event will take place at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Library, 425 Holland Street West, Bradford ON L3Z0J2.
Additional Information about guest speakers:
Ruth Mathiang was born in South Sudan; she uses her voice and talent to advocate for important social issues. Her songs express longing for the importance of social justice, timeless fight for equality, and the dream of world peace. Ruth has performed for non-profit agencies that work in Africa in sectors such as human rights, women and children issue, primary health care and community development. Ruth seems to be on a path reminiscent of past activist voices, the late Miriam Makeba and the socially conscious Tracey Chapman, her musical heroes. While singing in Arabic and Kiswahili as well as English, her elegant melodic sound has been described as a "mixture of traditional African music with hip hop, afro beat, jazz and reggae-inspired.
Sara Werkee is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in public and private art, specializing in curating exhibitions and promoting cultural initiatives. Sara has served as a team lead at the Saudi Art Council, overseeing various projects under the Director's supervision, including the successful coordination of "21,39 Jeddah Arts" and the "Shara Art & Design Fair." Her role as the
international public program relations lead has allowed her to establish valuable connections within the global art community. Sara currently holds a position as a council member at the Innisfil Arts, Culture, and Heritage Council. She also serves as the International Public Program Director and International Liaison at the Scientific and Research Association SumArt, where she continues to drive innovation and collaboration within the art and cultural spheres.
Isoken Ibie is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, actor, coach, spoken word storyteller, humanitarian, activist, and community leader. She produced Complicated Lies, a film that garnered 12 awards across various categories and over 20 nominations worldwide. Additionally, she co-produced When Love Hurts, released in September 2022, with multiple releases across North America. She is also an executive producer and producer of the upcoming film Wiccan Girl.
Through her stories, Maxine Gordon Palomino re-ignites or creates new memories, and is oftentimes seen singing, dancing, drumming, encouraging her audiences' participation. Her performances are multisensory, resonating with the sounds, language and rhythms of her cultural heritage. In her telling, she bridges the past and the present and you may see the intertwining of English, Jamiekan and maybe even a little French, as she reflects on various themes. Maxine loves to illuminate lesser-known Caribbean cultural stories, giving voice to the forgotten, and casting a spotlight on the day-to-day events that make us resilient, that make us laugh, that make us see the true meaning of a life well lived.
Harcourt Golding Sinclair is a local Bradfordian husband and father who is a skilled tiler and musician by profession. Harcourt is a worshipper whose main genre is gospel. However he is know to entertain in various styles such as soul, reggae and r and b. HGS Music is distinct and pure. A gift from God that Harcourt utilizes to uplift, encourage, inform and entertain.
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