Africa Oyé reveals news of family workshops all weekend in the Oyé Active Zone during the festival

Africa Oyé returns to Sefton Park on Saturday 18 June and Sunday 19 June

There’s less than two weeks to go until the country’s biggest festival of African music and culture returns to Liverpool and today Africa Oyé has revealed the line-up of free workshops and activities that are taking place over their festival weekend in Sefton Park.

On 18th and 19th June, in association with Liverpool’s leading world dance charity Movema, the Oyé Active Zone (OAZ) will return to provide a range of dance, song and drumming from the African Diaspora for the whole family. People of all ages, abilities and backgrounds will have the chance to the activities throughout the weekend, all led by top local and international companies.

Ithalia Forel, Co-Founder of the award winning charity Movema, said “Movema are so excited and ready to get Liverpool moving and grooving to celebrate 30 years of Africa Oye! This year Movema bring workshops and performances to bring people together, to connect, dance, drum and sing and have fun! We are so happy to see our favourite festival return, as it offers healing, joy and togetherness, whilst learning and celebrating dance and culture of the African Diaspora.

The programme is free for all to attend, and our partners are amazing local community arts practitioners who offer an annual programme to the community. We are thrilled to have performers from all over the world come to celebrate our 13th birthday through dance, yoga and music.”

As well as the high energy dance workshops provided and curated by Movema, other activities on offer include Capoeira For All, Children’s Yoga, and a special appearance from the Movema Sankofa bird, which will have everyone dancing with Liverpool drumming troupe, Katumba!

Africa Oyé 2019, Sefton Park, Liverpool – Sunday

Plus, ahead of his main stage appearance as part of Kanda Bongo Man’s band, returning Oyé favourite, Nickens Nkoso will lead a musical workshop that promises to bring the energy and excitement of the Oyé Stage up close and personal on the Sefton Park Review Field.

Katumba will also 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 on the festival site, with the LFC Foundation offering free sporting activities for children and families; Mr Silky Skills teaching some football freestyle; hands-on soap and product making with LUSH; arts meeting science with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Plastic Tactics, and North West Cancer Research; and Yamm Tree waking up everyone’s ancestral knowledge with a series of special food workshops throughout the weekend.

Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney said: “We’re always looking to remove barriers to entry to Africa Oyé so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to keep all the workshops on-site free of charge once again. Movema have put together a brilliant and varied programme for the OAZ’s return and there’s activities going on all over the festival site on Saturday and Sunday. The whole cultural programme is focused on promoting health and wellbeing, learning and participation.”

The 2022 Africa Oyé festival will take place on 18th and 19th June in Liverpool’s Sefton Park on the Review Field from 12:30pm til 9:30pm both days. Entrance is FREE and you do not need a ticket. You can keep up with all the latest announcements via the Africa Oyé Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.