K. Osei Williams and the Art Is Alive Festival - Uniting Communities Through the Arts
Ife Youth Dance Theater at Art Is Alive. Image credit: Solwazi Afi Olusola
K. Osei Williams is the driving force behind the Art is Alive festival, a dynamic event that brings together the community through the power of the arts. Located in Brooklyn, this festival strives to create a sense of unity and connection among its attendees. The festival offers a wide range of offerings, including free classes, workshops, and performances, all with the goal of providing access to artistic expression for all. This year's festival was especially significant as it marked the event's return after a challenging period of pandemic-related disruptions. This shows the festival's commitment to supporting artists' professional development. The event included performances by both youth and professional companies, making it a platform for artists at all stages of their careers. There were also African Diasporic dance workshops and an art showcase celebrating Africa's rich cultural heritage. To support this remarkable festival, readers are encouraged to attend events, explore the festival's website, and contribute through donations to ensure the ongoing success of the programs and initiatives offered by Art is Alive.
Where are you based?
We are a Brooklyn-based company with our office located in downtown Brooklyn at 80 Hanson Place.
Could you elaborate on the mission of Art Is Alive? What inspired the events?
Art is Alive was started to bring the community together through the Arts. We are aware that everyone doesn't have the luxury of taking classes or going to performances. So we decided to give our community a series of free classes, workshops, performances, and this year for the first time free Asase Yaa T-shirts from all our events over the past 10 years. This is our annual give-back to the community.
How was this year's event? Can you tell us about some of the activities you do?
This year was very special. It was our first full year back since the pandemic and our community showed up. We had two very important workshops. The first workshop was on financial literacy for artists, and the second workshop was a step-by-step on how to become a NYC Department of Education vendor or receive your NYC Department of Education Multi Task Award Contract. We had four youth companies and five professional companies perform. Some of the companies that performed were Asase Yaa Dance Theater, Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, ADH, Joseph Webb, TORCH Dance Theatre, Arkestra Africa, Esota, Ife Youth Dance Theater, and Brooklyn United. With the evening being hosted by Marlon Rice. We also had three dance classes and one djembe drum class. This year we commissioned two artists Malandela Zulu of Zulu Soul and Solwazi Olusola of Ancestral Beauty to put up a very specific art Showcase based on the beauty of Africa.
In what ways has Art Is Alive developed and grown since its inception?
Art is Alive started as only dance classes. It is now a full arts festival.
Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble at Art Is Alive. Image credit: Solwazi Afi Olusola
Can you tell us a bit about your African Diasporic dance workshops?
We had three dance classes. The first class was a contemporary modern dance class conducted by Ian Dasilva. In this class, Ian taught traditional modern dance techniques to contemporary African music. The second class was taught by Lesina Martin. This was a traditional West African dance class. The dance and song she taught is called Tiriba from Guinea, West Africa. This dance and ceremony is done by the Landuma people in the south of Guinea. Lesina kept the tradition of the dance and taught the dance in a circle as it would be done in the villages in Guinea. The last class was taught by Kevin Hunte a finalist for "So You Think You Can Dance" Kevin taught a Hip Hop class in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.
Can you share some of the most memorable moments from past iterations of Art Is Alive?
The most memorable moment was having the community there and engaged. Everyone seemed so happy and love was felt throughout the entire space as the event went on. It felt like one big family enjoying the arts.
What measures do you take to ensure that Art Is Alive is an inclusive and welcoming event for people of all ages and backgrounds?
When we say community we really mean that. The arts are about expression not about division so we make it our obligation to invite our entire community.
How significant is artmaking, artist development workshops, and performances to the success of NYC youth?
The expression of Art helps the youth bring their imagination to life. We feel that imagination is what shapes the world. We want our youth to rise up like every generation and continue to shape the world. And we feel the arts is a gateway to self-positive expression. If It's visual arts, performing arts, or artist's development it is all a positive and uplifting way for the youth to acquire as they grow.
Brooklyn United Marching Band at Art Is Alive. Image credit: Solwazi Afi Olusola
Art Is Alive had to take a small break during COVID-19. Was it hard starting back up again?
It was inspiring starting back up. We were excited to bring this festival back to our community.
What aspirations do you have for the future of Art Is Alive? When is your next event?
Next year I would like for Art is Alive to be a three-day event. Our next major event is February 12 - 18, 2024 "Visions of Africa" at Abrons Art Center.
Do you have any recommendations for kids to do art-wise between your events?
They could join the Asase Yaa School of the Arts to learn many styles of dance and music. Also, I feel parents should make sure their child's school has adequate arts programs. We feel that arts programs at schools play a major role in the social and emotional development of a child.
How would you like our readers to get more involved in Art Is Alive?
They can go to our website at https://www.asaseyaaent.org/ and follow all of the events we have throughout the year. They can also donate at https://www.mightycause.com/story/Art-Is-Alive. These donations help us keep all of our programs free or at a very low cost.
Mahiri Fajimba Keita - Djembe Drum class at Art Is Alive. Image credit Solwazi Afi Olusola
It has been a rough few years, how have you been staying positive?
It was really rough during the pandemic. But, in the true fashion of a community-based organization our community helped us stay positive and helped us keep our faith and belief that what we were doing was rooted in the community. And we were all in this together.
What is your motto in life?
Educate, Enrich, and Entertain. We aspire to empower and strengthen our youth by offering them an opportunity to learn, study, and experience the history, movement, and beauty of African Diasporic dance, music, and culture at its highest level.
To learn more about Art is Alive, please follow the links below:
Website: https://www.asaseyaaent.org/
Instagram: @asaseyaa
Facebook: AsaseYaaCulture
