Black Speculative Arts Movement at Birmingham City University

AfroFlux, alongside The Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research are more than happy to welcome the Black Speculative Arts Movement to Birmingham.

Prepare for an evening of informative discussions, short films and workshops detailing how the BSAM help bring into reality their takes on Afrofuturism and Astro Blackness. How do these ideas affect the African Diaspora?

The BLACK SPECULATIVE ART MOVEMENT, aka BSAM, is a yearlong, traveling afrofuturism, comics, film, and art convention held at multiple universities, colleges, and venues abroad. Our movement, co-founded by associate professor and chair of the Humanities department at Harris-Stowe State University Reynaldo Anderson. We conduct seminars, classes, hand on workshops, plays, step shows, and much more. Students are also welcome to submit proposals to participate as well. Afrofuturism and astro blackness has been practiced in our community for years, especially thru literature, visual arts, and music. Artists like Sun Ra, Octavia Butler, Basquiat, Fela Kuti, George Clinton, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Samuel Delaney, Jimi Hendrix, Paschal B. Randolph, Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka, Tananarive Due, Afrika Bambaataa and the ZULU NATION are excellent examples BSAM is a loose umbrella term represented for different positions or basis of inquiry: Afrofuturism, Astro Blackness, Afro-Surrealism, Ethno Gothic, Black Digital Humanities, Black (Afro-future female or African Centered) Science Fiction, The Black Fantastic, Magical Realism, and The Esoteric. Although these positions may be incompatible in some instances they overlap around the term speculative and design; and interact around the nexus of technology and ethics.  The BSAM has previously hosted festivals all across North America.

more information about the BSAM and the event can be gained from www.bsam-art.com

Also this night will be the UK premiere of the short ‘Static’ film by David Kirkman. Static

Time: 7pm to 9.30pm

Venue: Curzon Building, City Centre Campus, Lecture Theatre C087, 4 Cardigan Street, Birmingham B4 7BD

Phone: 0121 331 5000

This is brought to you with a collaboration of the BSAM and AfroFlux and sponsored by the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research at The Birmingham School of Media, Birmingham City University