Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube
SUPPORT ADN

African Artists in the Climate Change Movement

Catalysts for Social Change 

African artists stand at the intersection of creativity and conscience and have long been considered mirrors of society, reflecting its struggles, dreams, and aspirations. However, art is not just a reflection of reality, but a powerful catalyst for shaping it. As Africa wrestles with the devastating impact of climate change, it is crucial to recognize the vital role of artists in driving awareness, fostering change, and inspiring action within our communities and beyond.  Art holds the power to spark profound change in the climate movement across the African continent and beyond as the role of the artist goes beyond aesthetics and embodies a profound responsibility to protect and preserve the planet we call home. Traditional art forms, such as dance, music, and storytelling, serve as potent vehicles for communicating messages about climate change. 
By infusing climate-conscious narratives into these artistic expressions, they become channels for knowledge transfer, allowing the collective wisdom of generations to inform modern environmental practices. This panel will explore the role of African artists as agents of transformation and how African artists have embraced this responsibility with unwavering dedication.

Need More information?

Contact Us

Speakers

Chike Nwoffiah

Chike Nwoffiah

Executive Director, Silicon Valley African Film Festival (Moderator)

Chike Nwoffiah is an award-winning film and theater producer and director with over 50 productions to his credit. He is the founding director of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival and president of Rhesus Media Group. He serves on the President’s Community Advisory Council of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and boards of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Precious Kids Foundation, and Pavillion Afriques at the Cannes Film Festival. Nwoffiah was inducted into the Silicon Valley Black Legends Hall of Fame in 2021 and awarded the Cornerstone of the Arts Award by the City of San Jose in 2022. He received ADN’s African Luminaire Award in 2023.

Karishma Bhagani

Karishma Bhagani

Producer

Karishma Bhagani is a producer, dramaturg and theatre-maker from Mombasa, Kenya. Karishma is keen on contributing to the development of a sustainable creative economy within East Africa, as well as sharing African stories around the globe. Karishma has worked at the LAM Sisterhood in Kenya, the Tebere Arts Foundation in Uganda and the Nairobi Musical Theater Initiative. She was also a fellow at the Georgetown Lab for Global Performance and Politics (2019-2022). Production credits include: Goddess: The Musical, The Manic Monologues: Africa Edition, Theatre for One: Nairobi Edition. She graduated from New York University with a B.F.A in Theatre and History and is currently pursuing her PhD at Stanford University.

Kiazi Malongo

Kiazi Malongo

Kiazi Malonga is a second generation Congolese American born into a family of artists. He was first introduced to the Ngoma drum at age two by his father Malonga Casquelourd, a world-renowned traditional drummer, dancer and choreographer from Congo Brazzaville. Casquelourd traveled to the US in 1972 and shortly thereafter began to build his exceptional legacy in the traditional arts in the US. It was in this setting that Kiazi Malonga was trained and learned about his Congolese cultural heritage. He became the lead drummer of his father’s dance company, Fua Dia Congo, at age 16 and began teaching at that time as well.

Nkeiruka Oruche

Nkeiruka Oruche

Executive & Artistic Director, Afro Urban Society

Nkeiruka Oruche, a multimedia creative, cultural organizer, and producer, founded and directs Afro Urban Society, a hub for Pan African arts and culture. She created and directed ‘Mixtape of the Dead & Gone #1’’ dance-theater comedy about death and igbo cosmology. In 2023, she was on the creative team of ‘Nollywood Dreams’ at SF Playhouse. Oruche was a Dance/USA Artist Fellow, Kikwetu Honors Awardee, a NYFA Immigrant Artist Fellow, and YBCA 100 Honoree. She has received awards from Creative Work Fund, MAP Fund, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and California Arts Council. Her work has been featured in BBC Africa, Goethe-Institut, Fjord Review, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Coal City University-Enugu, and Oakland Museum of California.

Impact

Since 2016 ADN convenings have reached...