Join ITZATNA Arts in their free, interactive workshop to create your own ‘Ofrenda To Our Ancestors’ at Bearwood Yoga. (28A Abbey Road Bearwood B67 5RD)
ITZATNA ARTS are an emerging artist collective based in the Midlands that create intercultural collaborations between artists and diaspora communities between Mexico, Latin America, and the UK. Founded by the father-son artist duo Alfredo Hau (Visual Artist, Writer & Professional Chef) and Sebas Hau (Live Artist & Creative Producer), ITZATNA cultivates radical, decolonial, and cross-disciplinary approaches to creating cutting-edge projects that combine visual, community, culinary, and live art to create unique experiences for all ages.
About the workshop
Local creatives are invited to participate in a multidisciplinary event exploring how the act of creating and constructing an ‘Ofrenda’ through material play, sharing food, and communal discussion can reconnect our lives and artistic practice with the love, labour, and wisdom of our Ancestors*
Over this 3 hour workshop you will learn about:
- The ancient traditions of constructing ‘ofrendas’ or altars/shrines to the deceased for Mexican Day of the Dead.
- How contemporary Mexican and Latin American artists have reimagined the ‘Ofrenda’ as contemporary visual art installations, recontextualized in galleries, museums, and local communities.
- Creating your own ‘Ofrendas’ inspired by your own ancestors* life, work, and stories using your preferred artistic medium e.g. painting, sound art, text, performance etc. ITZATNA welcome you to bring your own materials and tools of your preferred artistic medium. ITZATNA invite you to bring specific items for the workshop, for example, photographs and heirlooms of your Ancestors*.
Please bring along with you:
- Photographs or Drawings of your Ancestor(s)*
- Objects or Heirlooms that belonged to your Ancestor(s)* when they were living
- Let us know one favourite food or drink of your Ancestor(s) – and we will make every attempt to provide it on the day.
- If you would prefer us to print out photos of Ancestor(s) or heirlooms, please send us jpg files (or a phone pic of the photo or item).
Please send the above to Rene at [email protected], by Wednesday 25 October.
*ITZATNA define “Ancestors” – as anyone who has had a significant impact or influence on your life. They could be a family member, your neighbour, another artist, or even an activist or campaigner who fought for you or your community’s rights and freedoms. Whose life and work would you wish to pay respects and homage to, and why…?
Details
A buffet of Mexican food will be served at the end of the workshop. Please contact Jess to share your allergies and dietary requirements so we can prepare food and drink for you.
This event is free, booking essential.
Access
If you require BSL interpretation, or childcare, or to let us know of any access requirements you have, please get in touch with Jess.
Jess: [email protected] / +44 7922 571832
About ITZATNA
As a Mexican-led artist collective based in the UK, ITZATNA is committed to the ongoing decolonization process of Mexican and wider Latin American histories, artefacts, communities, and narratives in the UK. The UK and Mexico have a long history of conveniently forgotten (post)colonial projects including; BP crude oil extraction from the Gulf of Mexico, timber logging in former British Honduras (now Belize-Mexico border), and the looting of sacred historical sites by English colonist and explorers such as F. A. Mitchell-Hedges. As a family and organization, we engage in a continuous decolonial dialogue of dismantling (post)colonial knowledge systems, in order to recentre the lost wisdom of our indigenous ancestors into our everyday lives and artistic practice. We believe that through intergenerational and cross-cultural learning, we can craft new methodologies of healing to tend to our ancestral wounds.
About BCN
This workshop is hosted as part of the BCN artist development programme. BCN is a space for mutual support, learning and knowledge sharing for artists in Sandwell and the Black Country. Find out more.
Location
Bearwood Yoga
28A Abbey Rd
Bearwood
Smethwick
B67 5RD