Africa Oyé annouces line-up for The Oyé Active Zone

With one month to go until the UK’s biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture takes over Liverpool, Africa Oyé have revealed the full line-up of free workshops and activities that are taking place over the festival weekend in Sefton Park.

On 22nd and 23rd June 2024, the festival will host two full days of completely free multi-arts and educational workshops across the festival site.

As part of the workshop offering, Liverpool’s own world dance charity Movema will once again curate the Oyé Active Zone (OAZ), supported by The Granada Foundation. Celebrating 15 years of the OAZ in 2024, expect a range of workshops for the whole family, with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds having the chance to take part in the eclectic mix of activities ,all led by top local and international companies.

As well as the high energy dance workshops provided by Movema themselves, other activities on offer in the OAZ include yoga, capoeira, and traditional drumming circles. Plus, ahead of a main stage set from international star, Vox Sambou, the Haitian MC’s own choreographer, Warda Brédy, will lead a traditional Haitian dance workshop.

In addition to the OAZ, Katumba Drumming and Movement will be leading a parade across the park on the festival Sunday, bringing a melting pot of UK big beat, Caribbean calypso and the carnivals of North East Brazil to create an explosion of rhythmic revelry.

Free workshops also feature elsewhere in the OAZ and around the festival site, with the LFC Foundation offering free sporting activities for children and families; Mr Silky Skills teaching some football freestyle; ‘bath bomb’ making with ethical and fresh cosmetics producers LUSH; arts meeting science with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; we welcome LIPA to the festival; plus ‘Echoes from the Islands’ – an outdoor exhibition highlighting and celebrating the important role of the Windrush Generation on British music; and we welcome back Plastic Tactics, where festival-goers can shred their drinks cup into flakes, melt them in the molding machine, and ‘pull the lever of the future’.

Those interested in learning British Sign Language can also head to the Oyé Access Tent for free BSL classes across the weekend.

Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney said:

“The workshop offering at Oyé, both in the Active Zone and elsewhere on the festival site, continues to be one of the most exciting and varied aspects of the whole weekend.

It’s a testament to Movema and our partnerships team that people could spend both days taking part in activities across the site and not even venture to the main stage.