Woza 2023, Woza!
We hope you enjoy the experience of our new look.
Over the past couple of months, we have been collaborating together to create an exciting online experience for you.
With out team in high spirits, we are all looking forward to a year that will truly get our productions dancing on foot.
Below is a summary of our website for quick navigation, so that if you would like to recommend the best way.
What is Afia and what do we do? How did we come to the point where we are at today?
Afia is a nonprofit organization founded by Joanna Holewa Chrona and Theresa Gustavsson, two Swedish-based freelancing professional dancers, choreographers, and also project leaders. Afia grew from the longing of wanting to make a change in our society, from wanting to support African artists and honoring African cultures, as well as to create a platform for people to enjoy, meet, connect, and celebrate.
It all started with numerous travels to South Africa. The first one was in 2015, and so far there is no last one. Basically, AFIA is a cultural event producer with the aim to connect and celebrate people and hold space for African cultures.
What are some of our vision’s for the future?
- To unite people via dance and music.
- To offer different ways to deepen one’s knowledge and open one’s perspective about African cultures.
How are we doing this?
- By organizing tailor-made cultural events and performances with a focus on African cultures and artists with African heritage.
- By being consistent with our vision, values, actions, and ambition and not giving up when met with obstacles.
- By keeping ourselves updated within the culture we are presenting.
- By being in close connection with the artist and our participants/audience.
We value cultural expressions and heritage. We also value people’s differences and similarities, as well as unity, knowledge, integrity, social/cultural responsibility and fair representation of culture/bodies and gender.
How do we keep our values?
- By organizing cultural events with focus on knowledge and history.
- By working with people, partners, and artists that we see hold the same values.
- By going that extra mile of understanding the culture we are working with for it to be an authentic and in fair representation of the culture.
- By offering our audience the same chance of understanding via lectures etc.
PROJECTS
YEBO YES!
Stage performance (dance) with a Swedish/South African ensemble.
The subculture Pantsula developed in Sophiatown, South Africa during the forced displacement of black people during Apartheid. Pantsula became a common expression and identity of the merging of the 11 tribes that existed in the country. The dance style (isiPantsula) developed from both traditional dances and theatrical gestures from daily life.
STAY IN TOUCH
