Celebrating Culture. Advancing Education. Connecting Communities.
The All Africa Festival of Arts and Culture UK (AAFAC UK) is being developed as more than an annual festival.
Headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, our ambition is to deliver a growing programme of cultural, educational and community activities throughout the year, culminating in our flagship annual All Africa Festival of Arts and Culture UK.
Our programmes are built around seven interconnected areas:
Arts & Culture • Heritage • Education • Youth • Creative Enterprise • Community Engagement • International Cultural Exchange
Together, these programmes will celebrate African creativity, preserve cultural heritage, advance learning, create opportunities for participation and strengthen connections between Africa, the African diaspora and communities throughout the United Kingdom.
Arts & Culture
Celebrating Africa’s Creative Excellence
Arts and culture are at the heart of AAFAC UK.
We aim to provide platforms for traditional, contemporary and emerging forms of African artistic expression while increasing opportunities for audiences in the United Kingdom to experience the breadth and diversity of African creativity.
Our Arts & Culture programme will include:
- Music and live performance.
- Traditional and contemporary dance.
- Theatre and spoken word.
- Visual arts and photography.
- Film and documentary.
- Literature, poetry and storytelling.
- Fashion and textile design.
- Crafts and traditional artistic practices.
- Culinary arts and cultural food experiences.
- Exhibitions, showcases and cultural demonstrations.
We want to create opportunities for both established and emerging artists to present their work, develop audiences, collaborate with others and contribute to the cultural life of the United Kingdom.
Heritage
Preserving the Past. Inspiring the Future.
Africa’s cultural heritage is extraordinarily rich and diverse.
AAFAC UK seeks to contribute to the preservation, celebration and sharing of African cultural heritage so that traditions, histories, knowledge and cultural practices can be understood and appreciated by present and future generations.
Our Heritage programme will seek to explore:
- African histories and traditions.
- Oral histories.
- Traditional music and dance.
- Languages and storytelling.
- Cultural ceremonies and customs.
- Traditional textiles and craftsmanship.
- Historical objects and material culture.
- Intergenerational knowledge.
- Migration and diaspora experiences.
- Contemporary interpretations of heritage.
We will encourage opportunities for elders, historians, cultural practitioners, researchers and younger generations to exchange knowledge and preserve important cultural stories.
Education
Learning Through Culture
Education is central to AAFAC UK’s purpose.
We believe arts, heritage and culture can provide powerful ways of learning about history, identity, society and the world around us.
Our Education programme will seek to work with schools, colleges, universities, families, educators and cultural institutions to increase knowledge and understanding of Africa and its diverse cultures.
Activities may include:
- School workshops.
- Educational visits.
- Cultural demonstrations.
- Lectures and seminars.
- University partnerships.
- Teacher resources.
- Exhibitions.
- Public talks.
- Research projects.
- Conferences.
- Online educational resources.
- Heritage learning programmes.
Our ambition is to make African history, heritage and contemporary achievement accessible, engaging and relevant to learners of different ages and backgrounds.
Youth
Inspiring the Next Generation
Young people are central to the future of African arts, culture and heritage.
AAFAC UK aims to provide opportunities for children and young people to develop confidence, creativity, leadership skills and a deeper understanding of cultural identity.
Our Youth programme will seek to provide:
- Creative workshops.
- Youth leadership programmes.
- Mentoring.
- Volunteering opportunities.
- Talent development.
- Performance opportunities.
- Cultural heritage activities.
- Careers and skills workshops.
- Youth forums.
- Work experience where appropriate.
- Young ambassador programmes.
- Opportunities to engage with artists and cultural leaders.
We particularly want young people to have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of AAFAC UK.
As the organisation develops, we intend to establish a Young AAFAC Network through which young people can participate in programmes, contribute ideas and develop leadership experience.
Creative Enterprise
Supporting Creativity, Skills and Opportunity
Africa’s creative industries encompass music, film, fashion, design, publishing, digital media, crafts, photography, performing arts and many other areas of cultural production.
AAFAC UK aims to create responsible opportunities for creative practitioners to develop their skills, increase their visibility, build professional networks and explore collaboration.
Our Creative Enterprise programme may include:
- Artist development.
- Creative skills workshops.
- Mentoring.
- Exhibitions and marketplaces.
- Networking events.
- Creative industry discussions.
- Professional development.
- Business skills for creative practitioners.
- Opportunities to meet cultural organisations and potential collaborators.
- Fashion, film, music and design showcases.
- Creative economy forums.
The purpose of this programme is not simply commercial. It supports our wider cultural and educational mission by helping creative practitioners develop sustainable careers while contributing to the visibility and appreciation of African creativity.
Community Engagement
Culture Bringing People Together
AAFAC UK believes culture can strengthen communities.
Our Community Engagement programme will work with African and diaspora communities while also creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with the wider public.
We aim to work collaboratively with:
- Community organisations.
- Families.
- Faith and cultural groups.
- Local authorities.
- Schools and colleges.
- Voluntary organisations.
- Artists.
- Community leaders.
- Older people.
- Young people.
- Local residents.
Activities may include community workshops, cultural celebrations, exhibitions, discussions, volunteering, outreach projects and collaborative events.
Our approach is based on a simple principle:
We want to develop programmes with communities, not simply deliver programmes to communities.
This means listening, consulting and creating opportunities for people to participate in shaping activities that affect them.
International Cultural Exchange
Connecting the United Kingdom, Africa and the Diaspora
AAFAC UK has an international outlook.
From our base in Manchester, we aim to develop meaningful cultural relationships between the United Kingdom, African countries and global African diaspora communities.
Our International Cultural Exchange programme will seek to encourage collaboration between:
- Artists and cultural practitioners.
- Cultural institutions.
- African diplomatic missions.
- Universities and educational institutions.
- Museums and galleries.
- Community organisations.
- Festivals.
- Researchers.
- Creative industry organisations.
- International cultural partners.
Activities may include:
- Artist exchanges.
- Cultural delegations.
- International exhibitions.
- Collaborative performances.
- Academic exchanges.
- Conferences and forums.
- Heritage partnerships.
- Creative residencies.
- Cultural dialogue.
- International youth exchanges.
Through these relationships, we want to create opportunities for people to learn from one another, develop new creative work and strengthen long-term cultural connections.
Our Flagship Annual Festival
Where Our Programmes Come Together
The All Africa Festival of Arts and Culture UK will be the flagship annual expression of AAFAC UK’s work.
The festival will bring together elements from all seven programme areas within one major celebration.
It will provide opportunities for audiences to experience African:
Music • Dance • Theatre • Visual Arts • Fashion • Film • Literature • Heritage • Food • Education • Youth Creativity • Enterprise • Innovation
The festival will also provide a meeting place for communities, artists, educators, cultural institutions and partners from the United Kingdom, Africa and the diaspora.
As AAFAC UK grows, our ambition is to progressively broaden representation from communities connected with countries across the African continent while maintaining quality, authenticity, inclusion and accessibility.
Working in Partnership
We recognise that meaningful cultural impact cannot be achieved alone.
AAFAC UK therefore seeks to develop responsible partnerships with organisations that share our commitment to arts, culture, heritage, education and community development.
We welcome opportunities to work with:
- African and diaspora organisations.
- Artists and cultural practitioners.
- Schools, colleges and universities.
- Museums, galleries and libraries.
- Local authorities and public bodies.
- African diplomatic missions.
- Arts and cultural organisations.
- Charities and voluntary organisations.
- Responsible businesses and sponsors.
- International cultural institutions.
Building for the Future
Our programmes will develop progressively as AAFAC UK grows, secures resources and establishes partnerships.
We are committed to developing them responsibly, ensuring that activities are properly governed, financially sustainable and capable of delivering genuine public benefit.
Our long-term ambition is to establish AAFAC UK as a respected year-round platform for African arts, culture, heritage, education and international cultural exchange, rooted in Manchester and connected across the United Kingdom, Africa and the global diaspora.
Celebrate • Connect • Inspire
Celebrate Africa’s extraordinary cultures, heritage and creativity.
Connect people, communities, generations and institutions.
Inspire learning, creativity, participation and opportunity.
AAFAC UK
All Africa Festival of Arts and Culture UK
Celebrating Africa’s Creativity, Heritage and Unity
