Africa Day @ Dublin Castle

Mundy will perform at Dublin Castle for Africa Day

Congratulations to the winners of the Africa Day @ Dublin Castle quiz:

Linda Mbotini
Jim O’Hanlon
Sarah Oeser
Samuel Olajuyigbe
Brenda Kavanagh

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Let us know what you thought of Africa Day @ Dublin Castle

We would like to hear what you thought of Africa Day @ Dublin Castle. Send your feedback to register@dhr.ie

Africa Day @ Dublin Castle

The line-up for Irish Aid’s flagship ‘Africa Day @ Dublin Castle’ event has now been finalised.

The event will take place in the gardens of Dublin Castle on Sunday, 25th May from 1 to 7pm. It is open – free of charge – to the public, and will showcase many aspects of African culture.

Main Stage

The main stage at the event will feature a hugely impressive array of Irish and African performers, including: Mundy; Kila; a very special guest appearance from Sinéad O’Connor and The Republic of Loose with The Discovery Gospel Choir; Motema (40s and 50s Congolese rumba); R’n’B act, Stone & Jezreel and The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir.

Afö – a six-piece percussion band boasting a repertoire of traditional West African rhythms and upbeat, high-energy music – has now been confirmed to open the event. Energetic dance act Congomania will also make an appearance on the Main Stage, while the Discovery Gospel Choir, world music singing sensation Bridgy, and Millionaire Boyz, the hugely popular African-Irish group, will also perform at the event.

All of the main acts participating on stage are performing free of charge.

Stone & Jezreel will be performing at Dublin Castle

Zambezi Garden

Rap Ireland and the Afro-Irish Music Movement (AIM) will have a designated space in the Zambezi Garden, where they will offer interactive performances, a DJ Academy and MC and rapping tutorials throughout the day. Visitors to this area can also hear performances from Heartbreak Cartel – a fun and funky rock band, playing home-grown South African Kwaito beats and world music fusions; watch demonstrations of traditional Malawian dancing, and get their hair braided free of charge.

Nile Garden

In the Nile Garden, there will be a Speakers’ Corner, which will feature performances from slam poet Jojo Mnensa, veteran of Electric Picnic 2007 and the Festival of World Cultures; Nigerian author, Yinka Dixon, and Founder and Editor of Metro Éireann, Chinedu Onyejelem, who will speak about Igbo marriage ceremonies in his native Nigeria. There will also be bracelet-making workshops; South African, Nigerian and Ugandan drumming and dance performances, and the chance to make an artistic impression by participating in the creation of a colourful, interactive Zambian mural.

African Bazaar

Visitors to the ‘Africa Day @ Dublin Castle’ event can stroll through a colourful bazaar area, where they can experience the sights, sounds and smells of Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, and visit stands representing each of these countries. Wine and coffee samples will be on offer, along with traditional foods; mint tea and coffee-drinking ceremonies. Visitors will also have the chance to play popular African board games; see drumming demonstrations, acrobatic performances, lots of traditional African costumes and even send greetings to Nelson Mandela for his 90th birthday in July!

Culture Zone

The Culture Zone (the theatre in the Chester Beatty Library) will feature spoken word and music performances and workshops, alongside ‘Building Unity Through Diversity’ – a colourful family photo exhibition, where you and your family can have your photo taken to join the current exhibits. Activities in the Culture Zone will include:

A kids’ workshop hosted by Ghanaian author and performance poet Nii Ayikwei Parkes, who has been invited to Ireland to celebrate Africa Day by the Dublin Writers’ Centre. Nii is a writer of poetry, prose and articles, and has published three poetry chapbooks: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (1999); M is for Madrigal (2004), a selection of seven jazz poems; and shorter (2005), published to raise money for a writers' fund in Ghana. An experienced performer of his work, he has appeared all over the world, including at NuYorican, New York; The Royal Festival Hall, London; and Java, Paris, and often leads writing and performance workshops.
A reading and discussion with acclaimed Irish author and journalist, Declan Lynch, who will read from his hugely popular novel ‘The Rooms’.
A spoken word performance and workshop with the Irish Times’ writer, Roisin Ingle. Roisin will read an excerpt from her recent ‘Being There’ column, for which she spent a number of days meeting the customers of a Nigerian hairdresser in Dublin City Centre. She will also discuss African-related articles she’s written down through the years, including articles she wrote for The Irish Times after a visit to Ethiopia in 2001.
‘Peig Sayers – A Fear Gorm Perspective’: a reading and workshop by the Founder and Artistic Director of Arambe Productions (Ireland’s first African Theatre), Bisi Adigun. Bisi will read from ‘Peig’, the autobiography of the native Irish speaker, Peig Sayers, and explore the use of a rich heritage of proverbs in the Irish language and in his native Nigeria.
A reading and discussion with South African author and journalist, Thabi Madide, which will focus on her debut novel ‘Really’. Her novel tells the story of a black South African woman who moves to live in Ireland and unexpectedly falls in love with a former Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging commander.
Musical performances by Children of Soweto, a gospel-singing trio, and Bridgy, a world music singing sensation.

In addition, the Chester Beatty Library will extend its opening hours until 7pm on Africa Day; the Library houses the newly opened Arts of the Book exhibition and the Sacred Traditions exhibition, which includes a number of manuscripts from Ethiopia.

The Coach House

The Coach House at Dublin Castle will feature art and photography exhibits, as well as craft and artefact displays. The Irish Ethiopian Friendship Association will be on hand with a display of Ethiopian artefacts and textiles; World Design will display contemporary African design and craft; while other African photographs and art will also be on display. ‘One World’ school projects will also feature in this area, and the Somali Irish Community Centre will have a stand displaying information, exhibits, food and clothes from Somalia.

Screenings of the acclaimed animated film ‘Kirikou and the Sorceress’ will also take place in the Coach House. Taking its artistic inspiration from African sculpture and Egyptian art – and featuring an authentic soundtrack from Senegalese musician Youssou N’dour – the film will be appreciated by parents and children alike.

Sports & Games

Former Republic of Ireland soccer manager Brian Kerr will be on hand – together with SARI (Sports Against Racism in Ireland) – to oversee sporting activities at the Africa Day @ Dublin Castle event. This will include Extreme Trampoline, five-a-side soccer, penalty shoot-outs and mini-tournaments for all ages. There will also be a Miscellaneous Games area, with lots of skipping ropes, beach-balls and even a parachute to keep children busy and entertained!

Eating

Visitors to Africa Day @ Dublin Castle are encouraged to bring picnics and to stay for a few hours to soak up the carnival atmosphere. African food will also be available for sale, with the renowned Silk Road Café providing catering facilities.

Prizes and Treats

Traidlinks will provide tea, coffee and fruit, as well as offering two family hampers for winners of the Africa Day Quiz. Silk Road Café will also offer a family hamper for the quiz, while Edun Clothing will provide 100 per cent organic cotton t-shirts from Africa as prizes for those participating in sporting events.