Afrofest-University of Windsor 2012/2013

From the 4th-8th of February, 2013, the University of Windsor hosted the annual event celebrating Afro-American and Afro-Canadian culture known as Afrofest.

Schedule of Events for Afrofest 2013. Poster design
by Simon Allen.

The week-long event features (among other things) dance and musical performances both traditional and contemporary, discussions and panels, speakers and guests from both sides of the border, an event called the ‘Battle of the Sexes’. The week culminates in the Friday evening event titled “Love Languages”, an off-campus soiree of musical and lyrical performances by local and out-of-town artists.

The event is hosted mostly at the CAW Student Centre and in collaboration with a variety of groups on campus, including student groups Caos and Fusion:

–https://www.facebook.com/caoswindsor,

–https://www.facebook.com/fusionent.windsor

During the 2012 edition of Afrofest, I was on site filming most events with friends and student videographers. The promotional video I put together for Afrofest 2013 was used by CTV as part of an ad, running for a couple weeks advertising the event.

Link to the original promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqykR2mWXWw

The ‘LoveLanguages’ event was held at the Time Cafe on Riverside Drive (formerly known as Escape Cafe). There were a lot of talented individuals, presenting their skills in poetry or music. Links to more videos of the performances will be posted soon.

Final event of the week
“LoveLanguages”. Poster by
Simon Allen.

You can watch Jordan’s performance here:

Watch Janelle’s performance here:

Screen captures from the footage taken throughout the week were used as banners and posters for promotion for the 2013 edition. Simon Allen, pictured below, a student at the university and a talented graphic designer put together the promotional materials and managed publicity and social networking sites for Afrofest 2013.

Afrofest 2013 promotional banner ad. Designed by Simon Allen, screen captures from video by Adam Wright.

Jasmine Burke-Ishmael,
Afrofest Coordinator 2012
performs at LoveLanguages. (Video screenshot)

Simon Allen, graphic designer
and artist in Windsor, Ontario.
(uncredited photo)

Justin Bailey, filmmaker and artist in
Windsor, Ontario.
(uncredited photo)

Afrofest 2012 featured a screening of the ‘Speaker’s Corner’ video, a video of filmed and edited in the fall of 2011 in anticipation of Afrofest 2012. A booth and camera were set up in the CAW student centre commons where students could express their opinions on suggested topics (a link to this video will be posted soon).

In 2012, student filmmaker Justin Bailey put together a Speaker’s Corner video for Afrofest 2013, check out the link below.

Speaker’s Corner: Interracial Dating Video– by Justin Bailey