TRIBE SANKOFA's 10th Anniversary - The Homestretch

My name is fabian m thomas. I am the Founder & Artistic Director (aka Chief Triber :-)) of Tribe Sankofa and we are commemorating our 10th anniversary this year! Our year-long celebration to mark this milestone will include the launch of their first chapbook of original writings, World Premieres of two mini-documentaries and an assortment of performances, tributes to our allies and supporters and recollections.

 

This Go Fund Me campaign is to fund the completion of a creative documentary called Hair Suh and to produce WORD SOUL: The 10th Anniversary Edition, the live stream production to be premiered on December 5, 2022 (the actual date of our anniversary).

 

I launched Tribe Sankofa in 2012. Our niche is “….borrowed and original spoken word/poetry, soulful song-styling uniquely blended with other visual and performing arts”. Since our inception, we have sought to introduce a new dynamic to Jamaica’s theatre arts landscape and the world at large. We have shared our interpretations of works by critically acclaimed poets and writers such as Lorna Goodison, Derrick Walcott, Olive Senior, Mervyn Morris, Oku Onuora, Claude McKay, Toni Morrison, Sunni Patterson, Rudy Francisco and Paul Laurence Dunbar . We have also presented unflinching examinations of issues such as police killings/brutality, gender based violence, racism, blackness and self discovery.

 

We have had the opportunity to share our distinctive style and repertoire in various spaces including the Lignum Vitae Awards, Gungo Walk Alternative Music and Arts Festival, Arts in the Park and the Investiture of the Poet Laureate of Jamaica. We had to dig deep and prove our determination to our mission in 2017 when we performed at CARIFESTA 2017 in Barbados despite having funding issues and not being part Jamaica's official contingent. We had to be resilient again and quickly adapt to the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. We overcame the obstacles posed, pivoted and presented our first virtual/online season via Zoom in August 2020.

 

We affirm and claim the necessary support and donations to meet our very ambitious goal! Thanks in advance....blessing, love & light.

 

fabian m thomas

Founder/Artistic Director/Chief Triber

Tribe Sankofa