performance & Talks
‘Rhythm is love: Invisible currents and sonic energies’ at Afropolis Festival, Lagos. L to R: Oluwasayo Olowo-Ake (Facilitator), Professor Halifu Osumare (panelist), Alibeta (panelist) and Sola Olowo-Ake
2024
Panel Discussion ‘Rhythm is Love: Invisible Currents and Sonic Energies’ for afropolis festival, lagos [30th october 2024]
This panel centred on the importance of African Intelligence and rhythm in creative practice as a pathway to deep connection to identity in performance (planned and unplanned) and creation of work.
Co-panelists: Prof. Halifu Osumare and Alibeta
Facilitator: Oluwasayo Taiwo Olowo-Ake
Performance: Dùnní's Monologue for afropolis festival, lagos [29th October 2024]
Dùnní takes on the form of a messenger and speaks of an altered reality of the present. 'Dùnní's Monologue' is an excerpt of a bigger body of work being developed by Oluwasola Kehinde Olowo-Ake.
The work borrows from the Yorùbá masquerading Egungun practice as a framework to explore taking on another form (the act of masquerading the body) to become something other than self.
2023
Panel Discussion & Performance: ‘Ahọn Dudu’s Burial’ for FORUM 4: Reflexive Research- Embodied Practices [14th September 2023]
This performance and talk was part of a series held by the Material Matters Lab of Emily Carr University at The Vancouver Art Gallery called ‘FORUM 4: Reflexive Research- Embodied Practices’. The event was programmed as part of the Fashion Fictions exhibition at the gallery.
Facilitators: Hélène Day Fraser and Keith Doyle
Fellow Panelists: Liévine Hubert and melanie camman
Panel Discussion & Performance: ‘Ahọn Dudu’ for Language as Embodiment with Green College University of British (UBC) [18th October 2023]
This performance and talk was part of the Green College Leading Scholars Series (University of British Columbia) and it was themed ‘Embodiment as Knowledge Translation’.
Facilitator: Sara Ann Knuston
Fellow Panelist: Irem Ayan
Panel ‘Community Building Through Art & Culture’ [24th February 2023]
The panel discussion with fellow black creatives centred on building community through art and culture. It was hosted by The Vancouver Art Gallery and organised by Kikachi Memeh and Stephanie Bokenfohr.
2022
‘Concealed Culrures: Visualising the Black Vernacular’ exhibition & panel discussion [17th September 2022]
This exhibition was curated by the Blac Arts Centre, at Surrey Art Gallery. My work, Ahọn Dudu was part of the exhibition under the ‘I see; I breathe; I am!’ exhibit and I was invited to speak on the panel at the opening.
Performance: Retelling Ahọn Dudu [5th June 2022]
At Arts Assembly’s ‘Orchestra’ event, Sola recounts Ahọn Dudu's story through the practice of Yorùbá storytelling. Sola as Ahọn Dudu invites you to reflect on the great land of Oke and what led to its fall through her story-performance.
Guest designer lunchtime talk for Fashion Design students at Nottingham Trent University [30th March 2022]
I was invited by Emma Prince, Course Leader (BA) Hons Fashion Design at Nottingham Trent University to give a talk about my time at NTU and my design (research) practice. The presentation was a reflective piece on my fashion degree and an update on how my design processes have evolved since completing my BA and MDes.
2021
Guest designer for the African Studies Speaker Series at the University of British Columbia [4th November 2021].
This lecture series was organised by Dr. Antje Ziethen (Assistant Professor of French) from the department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies in collaboration with the African Studies Program.
Workshops
WCP 8 week Storytelling Workshop with Delta Family Resources, Toronto October + November 2022
The Writing Circle Project (WCP), planned and facilitated storytelling workshops for Delta Family Resources Youth Program.
Storytelling Workshop with Design for Regional Resilience group at Emily Carr University March + April 2022
Representing the Material Matters Research Lab at Emily Carr, I co-facilitated a 2 part workshop with my colleagues that prompted students to situate themselves within the Design for Regional Resilience research project through mapping and materiality. The workshop aimed at creating research environments where students can collectively reflect on the project as well as explore ways in which their work can be translated into material contexts.
Design for Regional Resilience
Guest Designer for Decolonizing Design’s Material Practices January 2022
I conducted a similar workshop as below but with Industrial Design students at Emily Carr University.
Guest Designer for Decolonizing Design’s Material Practices June 2021
This project is being conducted by Helene Day Fraser and it calls students to reconsider commonly used prototyping and production processes in Design. Its aim is to invite students to think about new ways of making. I led a workshop within these series based on my design practices that invited students to practice Yorùbá storytelling by prompting them to make through stories. The workshop raised and explored questions about what it means to make, to situate oneself within cultural contexts and what it means to practice decolonisation in art and design.
‘Yorùbá storycharting as storytelling’ 2021
Facilitated a workshop on Yorùbá storytelling as a contribution to Dr Cissie Fu’s class, ‘Transformative Story-telling for Social Justice’ at Emily Carr University. The workshop explored ways in which symbols can be used to story tell within learning spaces.
‘Race & Inclusivity Workshop’ 2020
Co-facilitated a workshop on race and inclusivity at a church. The workshop explored ways in which Christian theology on Inclusivity can be practiced within the Youth Ministry.
‘On storylistening…’ 2020
Facilitated a story-listening workshop at the ‘In Touch’ Graduate Symposium in response to my observation of lack of story-listening in our society as it concerns the Black Lives Matter Movement. It explored practicing the different ways we listen and discuss as a result.