What to see and do during this year's Africa Week

A week of events featuring African arts, food, discussions and parties

This May sees the return of Africa Week, bringing with it a fantastic programme of events dedicated to celebrating and promoting African culture and achievements in Beijing – and beyond. Brought together by Kente & Silk, a Beijing-based social enterprise engaged in a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing Sino-African relations, the week’s activities will highlight the very best of Beijing's African community, across the arts, food, business and much more. Here's the full rundown of the happenings.

Art Afrik

AC Art Museum Embassy Hotel. Until Sun 26. 

Africa Week officially kicked off last Friday with the launch of an exhibition of contemporary African art titled Shifu, zhege difang zai nali? (Sir, where is this place?). Aiming to increase awareness of Africa, it features artwork from the likes of Osborne Macharia, Alun Be, Megan Heilig, LucFosther Diop and loads, loads more.           

A Culinary Journey through Africa

Unspecified venue (to be revealed upon sign up). 7pm. Tue 21. 225RMB.

Experience Africa's culinary diversity with an exclusive sampling menu featuring cuisine from Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Aiming to shine a spotlight on young African chefs with catering businesses in Beijing, menu highlights include sadza and nyama yehuku (Zimbabwean chicken stew), azifa (green lentil salad) and sambusa (a type of samosa).

Breaking the Monolith: A Journey through African Cinema

Red Rose. 6pm. Wed 22. 60RMB.

Sembéne!, a film by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman, paints an intimate portrait of Ousmane Sembéne, often hailed as the 'Father of African cinema'. Ousmane garnered international recognition through works such as La noire de… (1966), Ceddo (1977) and Moolade (2004), and his artistic legacy continues to redefine and reshape the African narrative. Join moderator Bonsuk Awani and Professor Samba Gadjigo, co-director of Sembéne! (joining via live stream from the US), as they engage in a dialogue about the roots of identity and African and Afro-diasporic art in the modern era.

The Curators

AC Art Museum Embassy Hotel. 7pm. Thu 23. 100RMB.

The curators of Africa Week's Art Afrik exhibition, Sir, where is this place?, are joined by a panel of figures from the worlds of art, film and social sciences to share their thoughts on why this African exhibition is needed in China. Join curators Megan Mace and James Sserwadda as they share the inspiration and ideas behind this diverse photography and video exhibition.

Afro Talanta

Prague Restaurant. 7.30pm. Fri 24. 60RMB.

Not just a talent show, Afro Talanta is an event showcasing African entertainment and entrepreneurship. Headlined by dancing and drumming troupe AfriTalent, catch performances from a variety of musicians, dancers and spoken-word artists, while also checking out a mini market with vendors selling African-inspired apparel, merchandise and accessories.

China Africa Stories

Chaoyang Community College (Shuanglongnan). Sat 25. 65RMB (professionals); 50RMB (students).

A day-long forum, China Africa Stories (CAS) aims to gives both African and Chinese students and young professionals a platform to brainstorm ideas, explore partnerships and develop practical roadmaps that can enable them to make contributions to Africa-China relationships via interactive workshops and dynamic panels. The theme for the third CAS, 'Partnerships for a Digital Future', will centre around discussions on how Africa and China can both learn from and collaborate with one another to prepare for an increasingly digital world.

African Start-up Pitch Competition

Schwarzman College. 2pm. Sun 26. Free. 

Like last year, this year's Africa Week culminates in an African start-up pitch competition that highlights the entrepreneurship of Africans in China. On Sunday, witness five start-ups, selected specially through a rigorous process and judged by a panel of experts, present their Africa-China-related business to Beijing. Tickets are free but spaces are limited.

To read about last year's Africa Week, hit 'Read more' below.

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