The Black Pride Experience: Black Power Queer Magic
Presented by Black Pride YYC and The Cabaret Company
February 13
Heather Edwards Theatre | 5:45-9 PM
Tickets: $10 | This is an 18+ event.
It’s more than an event, it's a movement. February 13th we’re bringing you The Black Pride Experience – a powerful celebration of Black History Month. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted and connected as we honour the incredible legacy of Black excellence, resilience and culture.
Join us for an unforgettable journey through history, art, music and community. We will begin our evening with a special screening of Lovers Rock (2020) by director Steve McQueen. Afterwards join us for a panel discussion with local community leaders Deva Dave, Tyson Bankert and Cheryl Foggo.
The experience doesn’t stop there! Stick around after for an incredible evening of performances, food, drink and dance. Hosted by musician and hip-hop artist Tea Fannie, this evening is jam-packed with dance by Afro Hause, poetry by Mel Vee, drag by Dmitri Dmitria, and burlesque performances by Prairi Cherri, Stemzzz and Melody Rysing.
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss The Black Pride Experience.
Doors: 5:00 PM
Film: 5:45 PM
Panel: 7:00 PM
Performances: 8:00 PM
Sponsored by Annex Ale Project & Simply Caribbean
Panelists
Performers
Lovers Rock (2020)
Suffused with the intoxicating sounds of reggae, dub, and Lovers Rock, the second installment in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series unfolds over the course of one rapturous night into dawn in early-1980s West London, as a young woman (the luminous Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) sneaks out to attend a house party. As the alternately languorous and ecstatic rhythms pulse from a homemade sound system, romance sparks on the dance floor, small human dramas play out, and, for a moment, this gathering is a safe haven from the outside world. Aided by the sensuous cinematography of Shabier Kirchner, McQueen captures an exhilarating expression of Black joy in a society often intent on stifling it.
Steve McQueen's Small Axe is an anthology film series that tells personal stories from London's West Indian community from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, a time defined by the terror of police violence, the empowering awakening of political consciousness, and the ecstatic escape of a vibrant reggae scene. Ranging in tone from tenderly impressionistic to devastatingly clear-eyed, these powerfully performed portraits of Black resistance, joy, creativity, and collective action form a revolutionary counterhistory of mid-twentieth-century Britain at a transformational moment.
About Our Partners
The Cabaret Company
The Cabaret Company is Western Canada’s largest cabaret company. Providing world-class entertainment and building vibrant community spaces by embracing diversity in the cabaret arts. Our shows include burlesque, drag, comedy, live music, circus, and more.
From grand ballrooms to your neighbourhood pub, The Cabaret Company offers polished, professional productions with unmatched style and character designed for each unique audience and event.
Snug as a glove and smooth as silk, we offer a world of captivating cabaret, made for you.
Website: www.thecabaretcompany.com
Black Pride YYC
Black Pride YYC is a Calgary-based organization dedicated to celebrating, uplifting, and empowering the Black 2SLGBTQI+ community. Founded to create safe and inclusive spaces, Black Pride YYC works to amplify Black queer voices and promote a sense of belonging through advocacy, events, and community-building initiatives.
With a mission rooted in equity, intersectionality, and representation, Black Pride YYC curates programs and partnerships that promote visibility, support mental and emotional well-being, and celebrate the richness of Black queer culture.
Wesbite: https://www.blackprideyyc.org/
