Saturday, 21 November, 9:00am to 9:00pm, with free activities and an open house for the community.
Imagine a gathering of black entrepreneurs, children, percussion, video presentations, hackers, musical performances, and one internationally known author. This is precisely the gathering planned at the Instituto Mídia Étnica (IME) House this Saturday, 21 November, in the Dois de Julho neighborhood in Salvador’s city center. The slate of activities commemorates the Institute’s 10 years of increasing black presence in the media, and celebrates this milestone with a house full of guests throughout the entire day. Activities begin at 9:00am and end at 10:00pm. The event also serves as an official inauguration of the Institute’s headquarters—the IME House— which has already been in operation for several months. All of the day’s events are free and open to the public.
Included in the program is Cuban ethnologist and social scientist, Carlos Moore, who will be signing autographs in his recently released autobiography, Pichón—Minha Vida e a Revolução Cubana (My Life and the Cuban Revolution). In a special autograph session, the author will speak about the process of writing this book, and will expound on his decision to donate all the proceeds from the sales of this book to IME’s projects. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at a special price.
The day begins with a morning reception and activities for children, including Afro-themed movies, games, storytelling, an Afro Hacker session, and a stop motion workshop with Jamile Coelho and Cintia Maria of Estandarte Produções, producers of the short film, “Órun Àiyé”, which was created using the stop motion process. The afternoon’s activities will open with a procession led by Afro-samba percussion group Muzenza through the neighborhood of Dois de Julho in Salvador’s city center, home to several social and cultural organizations such as IME. As an incentive for guests to stay for all the planned activities, a traditional Bahian feijoada will be served.
The celebration continues with the launch of the Ujamaa Coworking space, which brings Afro-Brazilian entrepreneurs together in an environment that promotes the exchange of ideas, shared resources, networking, and professional collaboration to boost businesses. The launch of Ujamaa (Swahili for “cooperative economy”) is also registered as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and is supported by the Brazil Foundation. Throughout the afternoon, Afro-Brazilian entrepreneurs will present their products and services in an entrepreneur fair held in this new space.
Also on the program is the launch of the Institute’s official video summarizing the projects undertaken and developed in the last decade. Using the hashtag #IME10anos, the video relates the group’s motivations and achievements of the past 10 years, and shares future aspirations. In addition to IME’s institutional video, the agenda also includes a series of audiovisual productions by Tela Preta, a black, Bahian filmmakers collective.
In addition to the presentation by Carlos Moore, the evening’s activities will include performances by musicians who are driving the Salvadoran music scene. In an atmosphere of relaxation, surrounded by original music as well as interpretations of sacred songs, the evening will also feature the singer Savannah Lima sharing her talent through song.
The official inauguration of the IME House will close with a party featuring DJs from the Coletivo Ovelhas collective, who generate huge crowds at parties around the city, reinforcing black cultural identity and combating every form of prejudice and oppression.
#IME10anos
Instituto Midia Etnica, created in 2005, is a civil society organization carrying out projects ensuring that the human right to communication and use of technological tools are shared among socially excluded groups, particularly the Afro-Brazilian community.
In the decade since it began, IME’s projects have fallen into three strategic areas: Communication (Correio Nagô portal, TV Correio Nagô, etc.); Innovation (Afro Hacker, Oguntec—in partnership with the Steve Biko Institute and others); and Entrepreneurship (Young Cultural Entrepreneurs program, Emerge Salvador, Ujamaa Coworking Space, and more).
The IME House is a center for social media and technology, located in the neighborhood of Dois de Julho in Salvador, Bahia. The house serves not only as the headquarters of Instituto Mídia Étnica, but also as a space for socializing and collaboration with other social, cultural, and political movements creating and implementing projects of sustainable impact.
The IME House includes a co-working space (Ujamaa), guest room, community kitchen, technology production space (AfroHacker), small auditorium for lectures, an audiovisual editing room (Madagascar), a studio for interviews, and it also houses the Correio Nagô newsroom. The House boasts an international and Pan-African character, and seeks to attract researchers, journalists, hackers, artists, and activists of diverse nationalities for the development of projects and partnerships, particularly those that promote the economy, culture and identity of the African Diaspora. In addition, a primary goal is to promote the philosophy of a shared and collaborative economy within the Afro-Brazilian community, by supporting the initiatives and networks of those—particularly young people—who seek to Communicate, Innovate, and Build Entrepreneurship.
Event Agenda
9:00am – Children’s Program: Movies, Stop Motion Workshop, Games, Storytelling
1:00pm – Procession with Afro-Samba Percussion Group, Muzenza
2:00pm – Bahian Feijoada
3:00pm – Tela Preta Video Presentation
4:00pm – Launch of the Emerge Salvador Project and Ujamaa Coworking Space
5:30pm – Performance by singer Savannah Lima
6:30pm – Premier of IME’s Official “10 Years” Video
7:00pm – Autograph Night with Carlos Moore
8:00pm – Party with DJs Ovelhas Negras
Throughout the afternoon there will be a Black Entrepreneur fair held in the Ujamaa Coworking Space
Details
What: Anniversary of Instituto Midia Etnica
When: 21 November, 9:00am to 9:00pm
Where: IME House, rua Areal de Baixo, 06, Dois de Julho
Cost: Free
