Black Futures, Ananse Tales: Diasporic Storytelling in Motion

MOA welcomes Akofena Afro-Theatre Society for a vibrant, immersive performance rooted in Anansesem—the Spider Tales storytelling tradition of the Akan peoples of Ghana and, the diasporic communities of the Caribbean and the Americas. Drawing on the legendary trickster Kweku Ananse, this one-of-a-kind experience weaves together theatre, music, dance, and oral narrative to explore how stories travel, transform, and sustain communities across generations and diasporas.

Audiences are invited into a world charged with humour, wisdom, resistance, and creative energy, as artists reinterpret classic Ananse tales through bold contemporary lenses. Centring Black artistry and innovation, this performance honours ancestral knowledge while imagining liberated Black futures.

Bio
Akofena Afro-Theatre Society is a Black-led cultural organization based in British Columbia dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and innovating African and Black storytelling traditions. The society creates theatre that integrates music, dance, oral narrative, and contemporary performance, drawing on African Total Theatre principles to centre Black voices and histories. Akofena collaborates with artists, scholars, and community groups to present works that inspire dialogue, cultural education, and creative empowerment. Recent productions, including King Musu and Through a Film Darkly, reflect the society’s commitment to artist development and to amplifying African diasporic perspectives on Canadian stages.

MOA • Free with museum admission (half-price admission after 5 pm on Thursdays)
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