Vancouver arts groups mark Black History Month/Black Futures Month
From VIFF screenings to live music and Vancouver Art Gallery happenings, there are many ways to celebrate throughout February
Clockwise from top left: Dawn Pemberton, African Fashion Week Vancouver, and Feven Kidane.
FEBRUARY IS BLACK History Month/Black Futures Month, and arts events are marking the occasion across Metro Vancouver to mark it. Here’s a glimpse at a few of them.
Staircase Sounds: Zhambai Trio
February 1 from 12 pm to 1 pm at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
The Zhambai Trio plays traditional and original music from Zimbabwe and features ancient instruments such as the mbira (“thumb piano”), hosho (maracas), and ngoma (hand drums) as well as the more contemporary Zimbabwean marimba.
13th Annual Songs of Freedom
February 1 at 7:30 pm at Christ Church Cathedral
This musical launch to Black History Month features an all-women cast that includes Candus Churchill, a singer, actor, and member of the BC Hall of Fame; Krystle Dos Santos, a singer, songwriter, and Western Canadian Award recipient; Dawn Pemberton, Vancouver’s “Queen of Soul” and a past recipient of Urban Recording of the Year; and Star Trickey, a singer and disability-rights advocate. Also appearing is American political figure Minnijean Trickey, a member of the Little Rock Nine. The concert is hosted by Marcus Mosely, who’ll bring along his ensemble.
Feven Kidane & Tiny Pyramids Play the Music of Sun Ra
February 1 at 8 pm at VIFF Centre
As part of VIFF’s Black History Month programming, legendary local trumpeter Feven Kidane joins Tiny Pyramids, featuring Dan Gaucher on drums, Colin Cowan on bass, Mary Ancheta on keyboards, and Tom Wherrett on guitar. This performance will be paired with a screening of Space is the Place.
For the Love of Gospel
February 2 at 7 pm at Canadian Memorial United Church
The Universal Gospel Choir celebrates Black History Month at this rousing concert. The multi-faith ensemble is hosting Karen Burke and Friends as its special guests.
Marvel-ous Movie Mondays: Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
February 3 at 2:30 pm at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
The VPL heads to Wakanda for this installment of its Marvel movie offerings.
Hafiz Akinlusi.
Hi-Fi Listening Session
February 6 at 6 pm at Vancouver Art Gallery
As part of Vancouver Art Gallery’s 2025 Black Futures Month celebration, this immersive hi-fi listening session is led by cultural producer Hafiz Akinlusi and presented in partnership with Space Lab. It invites participants to explore history, migration, and Afrofuturism through music and sound in response to the themes of Firelei Báez’s art. Curated soundscapes—including experimental, ambient, and world music—will evoke the emotional depth of Báez’s visual works for a multisensory experience that connects music and art.
Atlanthos: Youth-Driven Innovation Through Afrofuturistic Storytelling
February 6 at 7:30 pm at Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology hosts this evening exploring Atlanthos, a fictional high-tech underwater realm created by eleven Ethọ́s Lab Griots—youth storytellers inspired by the West African tradition of oral history. The event includes a panel of experts discussing Ethọ́s Lab’s impact on transforming innovation through Afrofuturism, storytelling, and youth-led creativity. Artifacts from Atlanthos, including 3D-printed helmets, banners, and multimedia narratives, will be part of the offerings.
Oedipus Rex.
King Musu, an African Theatre Adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex
February 6 to 8 at 7:30 pm at Anvil Theatre
Presented by the newly formed Akofena Afro-Theatre Society and Time Will Tell Arts Society, this play written by Ernest Kwasi Amponsah and directed by Stephen Yaw Oppong employs the African total theatre form—a blend of African storytelling, music, dance, and drama.
Luther: Never Too Much
February 7 to 9 at VIFF Centre
The documentary on Luther Vandross highlights his work with artists including David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Aretha Franklin; his struggles with his image and sexuality; and gifts.
Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul
February 7 to 10 at VIFF Centre
Legendary Toronto soul, funk, and ska singer Jay Douglas headlines an energized history of Canadian Caribbean music. The documentary features interviews with reggae producer Sly Dunbar, vocalist Jackie Richardson, rapper Cadence Weapon (Rollie Pemberton), former MuchMusic host Michael Williams, and many others, along with the music of Bob Marley, Bo Diddley, James Brown, The Cougars, and Wayne McGhie. Douglas will be at the event in person on February 7.
Mami Wata + “Drexciya”
February 10 at 6:30 pm and February 23 at 3:30 pm at VIFF Centre
Copresented by VIFF and the Vancouver Art Gallery, this screening features director C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s Mami Wata, a dreamy fable set in a traditional Nigerian village. The black-and-white fantasy thriller is based on West African folklore. It shows along with the documentary short “Drexciya”, a portrait of an abandoned public swimming facility located in Accra, Ghana, directed and produced by Akosua Adoma Owusu.
Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land
February 11 at 6 pm at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
This five-part anthology series from the National Film Board of Canada follows the journey of musical stars from Jamaica to Canada.
The Pirogue
February 12 at 8:30 pm and February 16 at 6:15 pm at VIFF Centre
An entry in VIFF’s African Cinema Now! series, director Moussa Touré’s film centres on Baye Laye (played by Souleymane Seye Ndiaye), the captain of a fishing pirogue, who leads the perilous journey from Senegal to Europe via the Canary Islands with a group of 30 men dreaming of a better life.
Mother of George
February 13 at 8:30 pm and February 16 at 8:10 pm at VIFF Centre
In director Andrew Dosunmu’s film, a Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn face devastating problems when it turns out they’re unable to conceive a child.
African Fashion Week Vancouver: Heritage in Motion Fashion Show
February 15 at 3 pm at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
This special event is a preview of African Fashion Week Vancouver in March highlighting the rich heritage and modern evolution of African culture through fashion, art, and performance.
The Inheritance
February 16 at 3:30 pm and February 24 at 6:30 pm at VIFF Centre
Copresented by VIFF and the Vancouver Art Gallery, this is the first feature film by Ephraim Asili. It weaves together the history of the MOVE liberation group, the Black Arts Movement, and the filmmaker’s own formative experiences in a Black Marxist collective.
Sound Bath: In Drexciya
February 18 at 5 pm at Vancouver Art Gallery
Led by artist Courtenay Mayes and inspired by the lush and evocative works of Firelei Báez, this embodiment practice will take place at the heart of the exhibition within the grotto-like installation A Drexcyen Chronocommons (To win the war you fought it sideways). As the session—which is now sold out—progresses, a resonant guided soundbath of soft chimes, deep vibrations, and undulating tonal waves will wash over the space.
Atlantics
February 19 at 8:30 pm and February 23 at 6:20 pm at VIFF Centre
Director Mati Diop’s film takes place in Dakar, Senegal, where Ada loves Souleiman but has been promised to another man.
Chez Jolie Coiffure
February 20 and 23 at VIFF Centre
Part’s of VIFF’s African Cinema Now! series, the film follows Sabine, who immigrated to Belgium from Cameroon and who manages a salon where clients—many of them undocumented immigrants—are not only made to feel beautiful, but can also escape the daily difficulties and harsh realities of their lives.
Open Decks Nite
February 21 at 10 pm at The Birdhouse
This event marks the first of its kind at The Birdhouse, an opportunity for Black, queer, and trans DJs to build their skills, brand, and audience.
Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story
February 21 to 24 at VIFF Centre
Dancehall queen Sister Nancy is at the centre of this upbeat music documentary.
Nya Lewis. Photo by Michele Bygodt
Library Talk: Erica Cardwell and Nya Lewis
February 21 at 5:30 pm at Vancouver Art Gallery
Writer, critic, and educator Erica Cardwell will have a conversation with Vancouver Art Gallery curator in residence Nya Lewis about Cardwell’s 2024 book Wrong Is Not My Name: Notes on (Black) Art.
Turning Point Ensemble: TPE Miniature
February 22 at 7:30 pm and February 23 at 2:30 pm at the Annex
To celebrate Black History Month, Turning Point Ensemble shines a light on Undine Smith Moore, the “dean of Black women composers”. Her music honours the struggles and triumphs of Black communities, blending traditional forms with the melodies and rhythms of spirituals. The ensemble will perform two of her powerful works: Afro-American Suite, a tribute to the rich legacy of African American spirituals; and Before I’d Be a Slave, a solo piano piece that speaks to resilience and hope.
Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience
February 22 at 7:30 pm at VIFF Centre
The Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience performs, showcasing the diverse, Afro-centric roots of samba, soul, and funk, alongside a screening of the Brazilian film City of God.
Dilli Dark
February 23 at 8:40 pm and February 27 at 5:30 pm at VIFF Centre
Director Dibakar Das Roy’s film centres on African outsider Michael Okeke, who left Nigeria six years ago to live in New Delhi, which he despises. He dreams of true love and a better job but is pushed into the “4 Cs”: cell phone, cocaine, cash, and clients.
Tori and Lokita
February 26 at 8:30 pm and February 27 at 7:45 pm at VIFF Centre
Directors Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne tell the story of 17-year-old Lokita and 12-year-old Tori, two immigrants to Belgium, from Cameroon and Benin, respectively, whose sibling-like bond is the only thing they can depend on in their struggle for survival on the fringes of European society. 
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