What To Expect From AFROPUNK’s Brixton Takeover
By Something CuratedFrom 1-8 September, AFROPUNK, presently helmed by Matthew Morgan and Jocelyn Cooper, will take over a number of south London’s arts and culture venues, drawing on the area’s rich and diverse history. Thoughtful curation sees a busy programme of art exhibitions, talks, live music, DJs, film screenings and more hosted across The Ritzy, Pop Brixton, Black Cultural Archives, 198 Gallery, Electric Brixton, O2 Academy Brixton and the Department Store. The musical offering, a varied melange, comprises classic sounds with a youthful energy, in a programme spanning vintage hip-hop, rap, soul, contemporary jazz, Afrobeats, and more.
On Friday 7 September, Electric Brixton host AFROPUNK mainstay, Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B, local favourites, BBZ, and south London collective BORN N BREAD of NTS fame. On Saturday 8 September, super-group August Greene, comprising Robert Glasper, Common and Karriem Riggins, take to the stage at the O2 Academy Brixton. The unique jazz, hip-hop and R&B collective bring together decades of experience working with pioneering artists across the globe. The anticipated Battle of the Bands also returns, with the final set to land in Pop Brixton on 5 September.
Away from the music stages, from 3 September, a week-long exhibition in the 198 Gallery commences, bolstered by six nights of insightful talks at the Department Store. The dynamic space will be filled with a host of guest speakers exploring what it means to be Black, covering issues from mental health, and gender to entrepreneurship and more. BBZ and gal-dem discuss LGBTQ+ matters, with a post-discussion dinner on Wednesday 5 September. During this period, Brixton’s Ritzy will be showing a breadth of seminal films, tangentially reflecting on the Black experience.
In addition, the festival’s Black in the Day exhibition looks through the history of AFROPUNK, a short distance away in the Black Cultural Archives, a unique venue dedicated to preserving, collecting and celebrating Black heritage. Right on Windrush Square, the exhibition and location are an important acknowledgement of Brixton and its history. Notable speakers, special guests, live music, DJ sets and more film screenings are still to be announced in the coming weeks – stay updated here.
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