JASON SETNYK
The Mini International Afro & Diversity Festival of Cornwall SDG made its debut at Centre Charles-Émile-Claude, offering three days of cultural performances, workshops, dialogue, and family-friendly activities under the theme Rhythms Without Borders. Presented by International Afro & Diversité Canada and funded by the Government of Canada, the mini festival served as a winter expansion of the organization’s larger summer event.
“This is the very first time we’re doing a mini version of the festival,” said Monte Domingo, treasurer and festival administrator. “It came about as an initiative connected to Heritage Canada funding, to give us a strong foundation for the future festivals we’ll be hosting.”
Friday evening opened with a panel discussion titled Building Belonging Beyond Racism, featuring author and mental health practitioner Brigitte Ornella Mballa, inclusive leadership and gender expert Adèle Kahota, and entrepreneur and life coach Sherlie Jean-Charles Laurent. Domingo described the session as highly interactive, noting strong engagement from both panelists and audience members. “It was a beautiful panel discussion,” he said. “There was a lot of contribution from the audience, and it really centered on belonging in our communities as we face racism.”
The opening night also included food offerings and a live artistic performance, setting the tone for a weekend focused on cultural exchange and connection.
Saturday’s programming expanded into interactive and family-oriented activities, including face painting for children, inspired by African cultural designs. Workshops included a belly dance session led by Yafa Goawily and a djembe drumming workshop with artist Jody Marsolais, which continued into Sunday. Cultural performances featured Congolese dancer Milka and Filipino performer Heaven Lee, also known as Kahilwayan.
Festival chair Myriam Darveau noted that the Saturday lineup also brought together a large vendor presence and a wide range of performers. “We had about 25 vendors joining us,” she said. “Throughout the afternoon, we had a variety of artists and dance groups performing, which really brought energy into the space.”
Sunday’s programming included a free screening of Lionheart, directed by Genevieve Nnaji, followed by an audience discussion. Festival administrator Monte Domingo said the film was selected to highlight resilience, as it follows a woman who steps in to save her family’s transport business when her father can no longer lead it. Released in 2018, Lionheart marked Nnaji’s directorial debut, became Nigeria’s first Netflix original film, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was the country’s first submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
The final day also featured traditional Sierra Leonean drumming and dance by Salone Drummers, along with more children’s activities.
“We’re planning the regular festival again in July,” Darveau said, pointing to July 10-12 as the anticipated dates.
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