School is almost out for winter break, and if you’re still scratching your head about how to keep the little Brooklynites busy, look no further than Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
The Crown Heights institution’s Black Future Festival returns this Sunday, February 19 for a week of forward-looking fun that features dance performances, interactive storytelling and hands-on activities, commemorating Black History Month.
The week-long festival offers an array of performances and activities each day to guide children and their caregivers through both historical reflections and the future of Black culture.
Catch a dance performance by Àse Dance Theatre Collective, drawing on the histories and narratives of the black diaspora, or take part in workshops exploring the quilt codes used to navigate the Underground Railroad led by writer and poet Prolific.
“The word Black means different things to different people in different places,” said Festival curator and founder of Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective, Adia Tamar Whitaker. “In this country it can be difficult to imagine Black people beyond slavery. It can be difficult to understand the spectrum of diversity in the African Diaspora and on the continent of Africa. Yet still, there were those who always could and always will.”
“There were those who used their imaginations to dream futures for all of us. Black history has never been just for Black people. The Black Future is not just for Black people. Black history is American history. And, although it can often be complicated, everyone that lives in this country plays an important role in the Black Future,” said Whitaker.
Other activities include percussion workshops led by the Brooklyn United drum line, a Double Dutch Jump-Along, and a workshop about Black foodways and communal farming practices that connect people to the food they eat presented by Brooklyn-based artist Sophia-Yemisi Adeyemo-Ross.
“Black Future Festival is one of the largest festivals we produce at BCM, including eight full days of programming,” said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, President and CEO of Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
“We’re excited for its return this February during midwinter recess. We know how important it is for families to share time and experience new things together, and that’s especially true during breaks when school is out.”
Tickets for the Black Future Festival grants all-day access to the morning and afternoon festival program sessions which vary day to day, as well as entry to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s current exhibits.
Tickets cost $13 per day and can be purchased here. Children aged five and under are free.
