February 1, 2024
For immediate Release
Downtown Halifax celebrates African Heritage Month with brand-new light show.
(Kjipuktuk, N.S.) – Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s (DHBC) DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN at Grafton Park will premiere a brand-new African Heritage Month (AHM) light show at sunset tonight (Thursday, February 1, 2024). Playing nightly throughout the month of February, this specially designed show is dedicated to the 2024 AHM theme ‘Our Smiles, Our Joy, Our Resilience as African Nova Scotians.’
Projected on the façade of the former Halifax Memorial Library at Grafton Park (corner of Spring Garden Road and Grafton Street), the show highlights two events that symbolize resilience, culture and legacy for African Nova Scotians and people of African descent: the Africville Reunion and Afrifest. Running almost five minutes in length, the show depicts scenes of colourful animation and text, timed perfectly to music written specifically for the show.
This year’s AHM production was conceptualized by DHBC’s placemaking team, with special advisement from Halifax Regional Municipality’s African Nova Scotian Affairs Integration Office (ANSAIO) and Halifax Public Libraries’ African Nova Scotian Community Specialist, and the music is composed, written (and performed) by local musician Bradley “Raslaxx” Frankson of Legacy Music.
“Having municipal staff and community experts contribute to this year’s show ensured that we could create an experience that appropriately pays tribute to the African Nova Scotia community,” says DHBC’s Placemaking Manager, Jonathan Goldson. “When we design our culturally themed shows, it’s important that we are not only providing inclusive and accessible entertainment, but also a unique learning experience for everyone.”
As with all DHBC’s DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN at Grafton Park light shows, the 2024 AHM light show was designed by Nick Iwasko of Wasko AV. This light show is just one of three being shown throughout the month of February, as part of DHBC’s DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN at Grafton Park.
For more information on this show and for the full DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN at Grafton Park light show schedule go to: https://downtownhalifax.ca/delightful.
And for more information on AHM and this year’s theme go to: https://ansa.novascotia.ca/african-heritage-month.
Land Acknowledgement:
Downtown Halifax Business Commission acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik’s (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.
About Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC):
Downtown Halifax Business Commission is a not-for-profit that represents over 1,600 businesses located in the central business district of Halifax, Nova Scotia. DHBC’s mission is to passionately pursue a more prosperous and vibrant Downtown Halifax. For more information, visit downtownhalifax.ca.
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For more information, and media inquiries please contact:
Jayme Lynn Butt (she/her)
Communications Manager
Direct Line: 902.428.5433
jayme@downtownhalifax.ca *best