‘Bozar all over the P(a)lace - Nocturne February’

! Tickets available on-site !

For this February evening, Bozar is inviting the Brussels-based Afrocentric collective Som·m·e Of Us to come up with an artistic programme to echo the When We See Us exhibition. The evening also marks the launch of the 8th edition of the Afropolitan Festival.

This evening's theme is the collectives of artists and curators who, across Europe and its near neighbours, are bringing to life a certain notion of Black Joy. Among them: the Welsh dance collective Jukebox and the Swiss collective of multidisciplinary black artists OKRA (Akwasi Glenn & KA-RABA).

Performances

In spring 2024, Jukebox Collective presented Of Us, a film as part of Beyond the Bassline at the British Library in London, the first major exhibition to document the rich musical history of African and Caribbean people in Britain. This musical and choreographic film resonates particularly well with the theme of Black Joy, which runs through the When We See Us exhibition at Bozar. This nocturne presents a live version with five dancers from the collective, led by Liara Barussi.

A group of dancers from Brussels, invited by the Som‧m‧e Of Us collective, will enter into dialogue with selected works from the exhibition, while the Irish poet and performer FELISPEAKS, based in Brussels, will take visitors on a poetic journey through the exhibition.

Music

The Som‧m‧e Of Us collective has come up with a musical programme for the whole night, a combination of playlists devised by the JukeboxCollective - based on the film Of Us - and a DJ from OKRA's KA-RABA.

Films

Of Us pays tribute to the heritage of one of the UK's oldest black communities, located in Tiger Bay, Cardiff. Through dance and movement, he explores the themes of migration, identity and the enduring ancestral link between body and memory.

Everyday Blackness, introduced by its director Akwasi Glenn, is a mesmerizing blend of sounds, voices, and polyrhythmic music and visuals, exploring everyday life from an Afro-diasporic perspective, narrated by Basel-based OKRA Collective and collaborators. At the basis of the work are conversations about navigating everchanging environments that feel increasingly tense, but also about communing and how to be genuinely and authentically present with each other.

Exhibitions

The When We See Us exhibition will remain open late into the night. Visitors can also take advantage of interpretation services in several languages, including sign language, provided by Bozar guides on the exhibition circuit.

PROGRAMME

19:00 → 19:30 / 19:30 → 20:00 / 20:00 → 00:00 Film screenings and music videos:

• Of Us by Liara Barussi and Jukebox Collective (2024). Duration 5 min
• Everyday Blackness by OKRA (2024). Duration 30 min
• Music clips about 'Black Joy' selected by Som·m·e  Of Us
• Where: The 23

20:00 → 21:30 Performative tour of the exhibition by FELISPEAKS and dance performances by Magdelaine Hodebourg & TIMISS

• Where: exhibition circuit and rotunda Bertouille

20:00 → 22:00 Music playlist by Jukebox and Som‧m‧e Of Us

• Where: Horta Hall 

21:30 → 22:00 Jukebox Collective performance

• Where: Bertouille Rotunda

​​​​​​​22:00 → 00:00 DJ set by KA-RABA from OKRA

• Where: Horta Hall

A bar remains open throughout the night. Please note that drinks are not permitted in the exhibition area or in The 23.