DIASPORA : FESTIVALAFRICANA TO SPOTLIGHT RWANDA WITH IN-PERSON, ONLINE PROGRAMMING

By Sara Bauknecht

When FashionAFRICANA founder Demeatria Boccella envisioned a new event series called FestivalAFRICANA, she pictured people coming together from all over in Pittsburgh for in-person panel discussions, fashion shows, art exhibitions and performances — all celebrating the beauty and diversity of the African diaspora.

But COVID-19 had other plans. When the series launched last fall, it included three days of online programming that spotlighted the creatives and culture of Ghana.

When FestivalAFRICANA returns this week — with a focus on Rwanda — it will be one step closer to its original vision. An in-person VIP event will kick things off Friday at The Frick Pittsburgh in Point Breeze. The rest of the programming, which will run through Sunday, will be broadcast online for free at FestivalAFRICANA.com.

« We’re gradually going back to our original plans, » Boccella said. « We were able to lay the groundwork during COVID, and now we’re in a position of scaling it from here. »

She added that she was encouraged by the support and viewership the first installment received in October. While the majority of people who tuned in to watch were based in the U.S., it also attracted viewers in France, Africa, England and Australia.

« We’re hoping to expand upon that so we can get more national and international reach, » Boccella said.

To bring FestivalAFRICANA to life, she is teaming once again with Nelly Wandji, the founder and managing director of Paris-based Moon-Look.com, which specializes in ethical, sustainable African fashions. The pair also is working with Illume Creative Studio, a communications agency and studio in Kigali, Rwanda.

« Nelly shared with me the richness of Rwanda from a creative standpoint, from designers and artisans to spoken-word artists, » Boccella said. « There is a renaissance happening around creativity, and I was really impressed with that and wanted to highlight it. »

Wandji and Illume Creative Studio helped to identify more than a dozen Rwandan creatives — including fashion designers, jewelry-makers, photographers, dancers, visual artists and a Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist — to incorporate into FestivalAFRICANA this time around. In-person guests and online viewers will be able to shop fashions, accessories, beauty products and more created exclusively by these featured creatives for FestivalAFRICANA at Moon-Look.com.

The Rwanda edition will start at 2:30 p.m. Friday with an online greeting from Boccella, Wandji and Illume Creative Studio’s co-founders, Anne and Joan Mazimhaka. There also will be a presentation of the featured creatives. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, the ticketed event in The Frick Pittsburgh’s Grable Visitor Center will give guests a sneak peek of the festival’s weekend programming and an up-close look at featured fashions.

Friday evening’s in-person event will include a joint presentation by spoken-word artists in the U.S. and Rwanda. Guests also will be invited to participate in a “UNITY” photo shoot directed by internationally renowned photographer George Lange.

Online programming will continue at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at FestivalAFRICANA.com with a documentary film that will show Rwanda through the eyes of some of its most dynamic creatives, along with other surprises.

« What I’m always excited about FashionAFRICANA and FestivalAFRICANA in general is that it’s always more than just fashion,” Boccella said. “It’s really a celebration of culture. »

She also hopes the event’s programming will leave viewers feeling uplifted and enlightened, whether they’re checking it out in person or tuning in from another part of the world.

« I love connecting communities, » Boccella said. « I want the African American community and the African community to be inspired by each other. I want us to be inspired by what we see in them, and I want them to be inspired by what they see in us. »

For tickets for the in-person kick off at The Frick Pittsburgh or to register to watch the online programming, visit FestivalAFRICANA.com.

*Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG