The Black Space Jam (BSJ) is a live performance showcase that provides local and international artists of African Descent a platform to share and promote their artwork. This showcase intentionally amplifies, celebrates, and centers Black creatives and the Black Experience. The BSJ was created to enhance the visibility of African descent youth within our local arts and culture community. This platform was made by artists for artists to create opportunities for skill cultivation and brand promotion.
The theme of this BSJ is cultural renaissance. Featuring dance, spoken word, standup comedy, music, and a live DJ; the intention of this event is to offer attendees a cultural experience and spectrum of Black art. The event will also host various culturally relevant vendors selling their locally made goods.
Join us at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 3, 2023, for an evening of multidisciplinary art, followed by a chance to mingle, party, and socialize with the artists. Read on to find out more about the evening!
When: March 3, 2023 at 8pm (doors at 7pm). The event goes until 11pm, and you're free to come and go as you please.
Where: The Biltmore Cabaret - 2755 Prince Edward ave, Vancouver
Tickets: Available on the Biltmore's Website. Tickets are $15-$20, plus applicable venue fees.
*If cost is a barrier for you, please send an email to libby@pitheatre.com and we'll be happy to set you up with a ticket*
Shayna Jones - we are STORYFOLK
Spoken word / poetry
Shayna Jones is an award winning professional performance artist specializing in the Traditional Oral Storytelling of African and Afro-Diasporic Folklore. As a professionally trained Actor, Vocalist, and Fine Mover, Shayna has performed for audiences across Canada. As a Folklorist, Shayna combines her passion for live performance with the in-depth study of Afro-centric Folk History, Folklore and Contemporary Experience.
DJ Bazenga
Music
Bazenga is an international DJ and Curator based in Vancouver BC. Bazenga uses music to create infectious playlists, dance grooves, and a feel good atmosphere.
Brotha Jason
Dance
Jason Bempong, also known as Brotha Jason, is a multidisciplinary artist “manifesting through many mediums” through dance, fashion, graphic design, animation, acting, and modelling. While juggling these art forms, Bempong spends most of his time focusing on Sleepless Mindz, his art and fashion brand, dance, and dance battles, as well as acting. Sleepless Mindz combines major influences from Bempong’s childhood. Primarily 90s cartoons, like Rugrats, ReBoot, Ninja Turtles, and anime, like Dragon Ball Z, but also elements from the 80s, 90s, early 2000’s, and his Ghanaian heritage.
Mufaro Mbudzi
Standup Comedy
Mufaro Mbudzi is a standup comedian and fashion designer originally from Zimbabwe, featured at Melbourne Comedy Festival & JFL Vancouver, He is producing his comedy show Scheduled Meditation as part of Just for Laughs Vancouver’s 2023 festival . Scheduled Meditation, his brand, is a comedy, fashion and lifestyle platform curating live comedy shows, guided meditations and dance parties, and Mufaro recently released his first clothing collection at Vancouver Fashion Week.
ebonEmpress
Music
ebonEmpress aka Dae Shields is the founder and Executive Director of Afro Van Connect Society, Community Advocate, Musician, Emcee, Designer and Curator. As an artist under the stage name ebonEmpress, she blends Hip hop, neo soul, and R&B, where she shares her lived experience as a woman of African descent and spreads a message of unity and acceptance. She is committed to spreading awareness about the injustice faced by African communities and showcasing the impact people of African descent have on Canadian and global cultures.
KOR
Music
K.O.R aka Osmoses x is a community activist, artist, director, writer, designer, cultural curator, cofounder of Afro Van Connect and Executive Director of Black Space Media. Kor's art and music reflects his African Descent culture and heritage. Fusing elements of HipHop, R&B, Afrobeat and Soul. Kor uses his art to promotes African descent culture and messages of empowerment, love, unity, and equality. As an artist it is my responsibility to be a voice for my community. I believe it is important to use my platform to highlight injustices and inequities in the hopes of creating awareness and meaningful change.
In addition to all the wonderful performances, local vendors, artists, and artisans will be with us at the Biltmore. Doing some shopping while watching a show at the same time? YES PLEASE. The marketplace will feature:
Reward Your Skin – Soap Company is a family ran business and has two more partners, Paul and Arricc. “We all have a part in running our business, from the product making, social media, ads and delivering the products to your door! We love making products for our friends, family and customers."
Our goal is to create natural handcrafted bath products that are healthy and gentle for your skin and hair. What started out as making products for ourselves, friends and family has turned into a business where we can share our products with our next door neighbours and also to the rest of Canada! From our family to yours, we put lots of love and careful attention into each item. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy making them for you. All products are hand-made and biodegradable.
Sprouted in Vancouver in 2018, KULA is the culmination of founder Asha Wheeldon’s diverse cultural experiences. Raised in Kenya, her journey led her through Toronto and to British Columbia. After moving to Vancouver, she was looking for food, flavours, and spaces that reminded her of home. Inspired by her East-African family recipes, she aimed to share something unique that not only offered delicious nourishment, but created spaces and stories for inclusion, representation, and community connections through food.
Sleepless Mindz combines major influences from Founder and designer Jason Bempong’s childhood. Primarily 90s cartoons, like Rugrats, ReBoot, Ninja Turtles, and anime, like Dragon Ball Z, but also elements from the 80s, 90s, early 2000’s, and his Ghanaian heritage. The Brand focuses on bringing back playfulness and joy—the feeling of when things didn’t matter as much when you’re a kid and are just carefree.
Mark “The Real MG Caricature Artist”
Born in Toronto and now living in Vancouver, Mark is a professional Senior Animation Compositor with over a decade of television animation experience, but his side passion is caricatures. For 13 years he has entertained and delighted guests with his skillful illustrations and charming personality. His strive for excellence in entertainment and customer satisfaction has made him one of the most sought-after artists."
Nyarai Tawengwa
Nyarai is Zimbabwean born black, queer emerging artist and writer. Her current body of work, "Please Tell The Darkness that I Did Not Die", explores themes around Blackness, identity and mental health and how these things intersect with the world and community around us through the traditional form of paint on canvas. She has a deep interest in freedom, how personal identity affects how we navigate within our various social spaces, and living life from a space of authenticity and care.
Afro Van Connect Society is a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to empowering people of African Descent through conversation, collaboration, creation & performance. We accomplish this by creating platforms and gatherings of vibrant, creative minds committed to developing authentic solutions, to increase the visibility of unserved communities.
We offer a creative capitol platform where shared opportunities and resources are designed to support liberating education and community sustainability. We are dedicated to building a platform to celebrate our shared story through our collective accomplishments.
Black Spaces are community designed spaces, intended to unite people and organizations across Canada and the world. Our programs are created and authentically designed to serve people of African Descent, it’s our intention to create both spaces and content that continue to inspire innovation, creativity and self-expression.
We centre blackness and amplify narratives and personal journeys of the African descent community in Vancouver. By building on our collective history and legacy on this land. We are dedicated to making sure our voices are heard and that our stories are told.
It is our responsibility to create visible spaces that exhibit and reflect our multi-diversity, ingenuity, and dynamic culture. As our community is most often overlooked due to lack of recognition and support.
Black Spaces are established to create opportunities for people of African Descent to access equipment, education, training, networks and opportunities, empowering them to creatively and economically flourish, building on their unique gifts and perspective from their cultural experiences.
