‘We The People of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (1888–1914)’
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| Free admission |
| Seats: ticket booking required. Advance booking: 21 days in advance. Feel free to drop by even without a ticket – the Schlüter Courtyard offers many opportunities to linger! |
| The event will also take place in case of bad weather. If necessary, rain ponchos will be distributed. Please comply with the hygiene rules below. |
| Doors open: 19:00 |
| English, German, No language skills required |
| Accessible for wheelchairs |
| Ground Floor, Schlüter Courtyard |
| Belongs to: Airing Out. Open Air in the Schlüter Courtyard |
A diverse programme with live concerts, DJ sets, discussions, video art and performances offers the spotlight on artists whose work is a statement for a polyphonic, hybrid, and interconnected idea of culture, history and identity, regardless of their musical genres or countries of origin.
Together, they aim to create an interdisciplinary and cross cultural stage which intersects with a local and global community, inviting the audience to celebrate their talents and be part of a dialogue. The Berlin-based music curator Melissa Perales has created a programme of events on the main stage to invite a diverse community of musicians, artists, performers, thinkers and activists into the Schlüter Courtyard. Melissa Perales said of her programme: “The audience is invited to join us on a journey: Over the course of six weeks, the programme will bring together a group of talents who claim space, through their music and words for a critical dialogue. Who bring forth their individual stories, ask difficult questions, and give a voice to their ancestors. Our hope is that this spark will continue beyond the summer in discussions inside the Humboldt Forum spaces, and resonate beyond.”
The stage programme on 20 and 21 August features two days of talks and programme collaboration with Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin, who was born in Benin City.
mokeyanju is a passionate dancer, writer, DJ and vinyl selector. She is heavily influenced by Detroit’s hip-hop and house heritage, fuji, highlife, ndombolo and percussive music. Her wide-ranging interest in East African and Caribbean culture led her to collect vinyl from Trinidad & Tobago, Tanzania, Kenya, Congo and beyond.
The discussions and performances this weekend are about the NOW, and what the future holds, but they are also about the past. In a short documentary film entitled ‘We The People of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (1888-1914)’, produced especially for the occasion, Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin shines a spotlight on the Benin Massacre and the 1897 Punitive Expedition.
Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin comments on the film: “This is a series of conversations from the crime scene. This is about the lives that have been affected since February 1897, when the attack happened, lives lost and families cut short. The Oba of Benin was dethroned and exiled to Calabar, the rich culture was pillaged, including ivories and bronzes taken with violence and held hostage by various institutions around the world, including here in Berlin. These conversations are with people who have close proximity with these objects.”
English with translation into German (tbc)
Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin at the Universität der Künste Berlin
Jaqee Nakiri was born in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The way of life there formed the backbone of her music. “People there laugh a lot, they radiate positive energy, and hold a firm belief that everything will be all right.” At the age of 13, she emigrated with her family to Göteborg in Sweden, where she has spent many years making music. Now her life revolves around Berlin. After initially occupying a space between blues and soul, her music now moves between numerous gripping styles and grooves – soul, R&B, reggae, dance hall, Afro, etc.
“Jaqee finds her place in fluidity and diversity, performing the best from all the worlds of black music […] in a big, rasping voice.” (Claudius Grigat, Intro)
Hygiene rules
- Visitors are required to complete the accreditation process before attending the event using the Robert Koch Institute’s “Corona Warn-App” (available via the Apple App Store and Google Play), which requires each visitor to submit their personal information.
- All visitors who are within the premises are required to carry along a medical mask that covers their nose and their mouth.
- Home-made coverings, scarves, cravats and non-medical masks are not considered acceptable replacements for medical masks.
- Visitors are required to wear their masks in all areas of the event where it is not possible to maintain a minimum social distance of 1.5m from other visitors. Masks may be removed when visitors are seated.
- There is no requirement for visitors to be tested for Covid-19 before visiting the daytime or evening events.