The Sierra Leone Arts & Culture Festival (#SLACfest) returns to South London for its 2025 edition with FOUR separate ticketed events across 3 days.
Expect a joyful weekend-long celebration of Sierra Leonean art, culture, history, and heritage, featuring music, poetry, panel talks, comedy, food, exhibitions, vendors, and activities for the whole family.
Through this year’s theme, ‘Roots & Renaissance’, we will look back at our past, reflect on the present, and celebrate possibilities for the future, both at home and in the diaspora. We are proudly part of Theatre Peckham’s Young, Gifted, and Black Programme and will be closing out this year’s festivities!
Day 1 | (Friday 31st October, 6pm – 9pm)
We will open with an evening of networking, good vibes, poetry from Mabs Taylor, comedy from Ibs Sesay and music from Nadeem Din Gabisi. The evening will conclude with a keynote address from Renaissance woman Vickie Remoe.
Our hosts on the night will be Makeda L. Cole and Fea Fasuluku, with DJ Hopie on the deck.
Day 2 – (Part1) | (Saturday 1st November, 11am – 3pm)
We will begin Day 2 with a Community Circle centred on the question of raising young Sierra Leoneans – our seeds. Join us as we explore the challenges, lessons, and our hopes as a diasporic community in Britain. How do we hold on to our cultures and traditions whilst evolving with the times? How do we lean into the hybridity of a British-Sierra Leonean identity?
All are welcome, especially families.
Our main programme will commence from midday with all your #SLACfest favourites, including ‘A Brief History of Sierra Leone’, ‘A Sabi Pas Yu’ interactive quiz testing your knowledge of the land that we love.
Entertainment on the day will be poetry from Fie, music from Asabi Hawah and films produced by, directed by, and/or starring Sierra Leoneans at home and in the diaspora.
In Studio 2, we will have our parallel Kip Kompin Cinema programme, and our friends from Young Krios will lead our Krio Klas workshop.
We will close Part 1 with a panel on the theme of ‘Roots’, facilitated by Samia Dumbuya, in conversation with panellists Adama Saccoh, Koehun Aziz-Kamara and King Sully.
Our hosts for Part1 will be Gemina Weekes, supported by Makeda L. Cole with DJ Hopie on the deck and tech
After Part 1, we will have a 1-hour lunch break where you can enjoy delicious Sierra Leonean cuisine and explore our ‘Small Markit’, full of vendors selling Sierra Leonean and African Diaspora-inspired wares. You will also be able to enjoy our exhibition, featuring photography by talented Sierra Leonean artists from London to Freetown and beyond, and a Gynae-themed obstacle course curated by Dr Aziza Sesay.
Day 2 – (Part2) | (Saturday 1st November 4pm – 8pm)
Saturday Part 2 will be our chance to look ahead and dream as a community about the possibilities ahead.
Expect more high-quality entertainment, including comedy from Aunty Hawa, music from Adama and a keynote speech from Renaissance woman Maria Bradford, and films produced by, directed by, and/or starring Sierra Leoneans at home and in the diaspora.
Part 2 will feature our ‘Renaissance’ panel, featuring Changemakers and Tastemakers, facilitated by Christie Fewry, in conversation with KABBA, ‘Seun Babalola and Patrice Naiambana.
In Studio 2, we will have our parallel Kip Kompin Cinema programme, a dance workshop run by Andre Bright, and a Creative Arts & Crafts workshop by YA Creates.
Our hosts for Part2 will be Gemina Weekes, supported by Fatima, with DJ Hopie on the deck and tech
Day 3 | (Sunday 2nd November, 12p – 4pm)
#SLACfest 2025 will close with a bang, featuring two panels, poetry, a keynote and a headline comedian.
Our first panel of the day, ‘Sierra Leone’s Creative Landscape’, will explore the services and infrastructures that need to be in place for the Sierra Leonean creative, both at home and in the diaspora, to thrive. This panel will be facilitated by Marie Osman, in conversation with Drizilik, Vanessa Fisher, Alima F. Sesay & Antonia Howard.
Our second panel of the day, ‘Africa Beyond Borders’, will explore how we can connect the dots as African creatives in the Motherland and the African diaspora, using our African heritage as inspiration and a guiding light for our work. This panel will be facilitated by It’s A Continent podcast co-host, Chinny Ukata, with Panellists Simmone Ahaiku (HomeSayings Podcast), Wizik (Distant relatives) and Hamid Ibrahim (Kugali).
In between our panels, we will have poetry from Saraiya Bah, and a Keynote speech by Renaissance woman, ‘Seun Babalola. The day will be concluded by stand-up comedy from renowned comedian Kindo Armani.
Our hosts for Sunday are Christie Fewry and Samira, with Selenks on the deck and tech.
With such a jam-packed weekend, the one question that is on everybody’s lips now is…