Short Story Writing Competition
The deadline for this opportunity has passed.
Updated Deadline: July 31, 2020
Our mission at Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc. is to utilize UNGANISHA, a Swahili word for connection; as a catalyst to celebrate diversity in the African diaspora communities by creating supportive spaces, platforms, and programming for diasporic community members impacted by the complex realities of discrimination and racism.
UNGANISHA is pleased to announce our 2020 short story writing competition. As part of our community engagement initiatives, we invite the community to co-develop the script for the UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. 2021 dance theatre production. This competition is intended for original short stories allowing participating African and Caribbean community members to submit a folklore or fiction from their culture centered around the theme of Rebirth.
On February 27, 2021, we will present the fourth iteration of the dance theatre production called UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. at the Arts Commons in Calgary, meant to increase the profile of diverse Calgarian artists while honouring Black History Month. UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. provides Albertans with an opportunity to celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the presence and ongoing cultural contributions of thriving African Canadian communities. UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. is a 90-minute, large-scale public performance that explores African diaspora throughout the Western colonial expansion and its influence on several modes of popular modern dance.
In July 2019, Woezo Africa conducted an exciting new contest inviting members from the African and Caribbean communities in Calgary to a short story contest. With the theme of the 2020 production being Discovery, the prompt yielded marvellous results from 17 writers. The winner, Chinemerem Oluchi Agbasi, had her promising story translated into a stage play, Girl Discovered, and received a substantial cash prize. Agbasi’s story was the foundation of the script for UNGANISHA’s 2020 dance theatre production.
For entry and submission details, visit sway.office.com.
