Black History Future Folk Symposium: Dunham & the Diaspora

About Black History Future Folk Symposium: Dunham & the Diaspora

A FREE 2-day Chicago symposium celebrating Katherine Dunham & the Diaspora through a keynote address, performances, panels & workshops!!

Old Town School of Folk Music is hosting its 3rd annual Black History Future Folk Symposium. Produced by our Community Ventures Department, each year this symposium draws inspiration from the definition of folk music provided by Folk Alliance International: “Folk is the music of the people, reflective of any community where they are from.” The theme for 2026 is Katherine Dunham and the African Diaspora.

Focusing on the prolific Chicago legacy of Katherine Dunham, this free two-day Symposium will invite participants of all ages to participate in open, accessible, and rigorous discussions about the intersections of Black history, liberated futures, and folk practices. Through presentations, panel discussions, participatory workshops, and performances, 2026’s Symposium will cultivate fertile ground for deep theoretical and embodied understandings of afro-diasporic dance and music.

SCHEDULE
Friday, April 17, 2026 • 6:00 - 8:30 PM

📍 Old Town School Lincoln Square Campus – Myron R. Szold Concert Hall | 4545 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60625

6:00–7:15 PM • Opening Keynote Speaker: Heather Beal

7:30–8:30 PM • Dunham from Haiti to New Orleans Opening Performance: Featuring Tamboula & the Windy City Ramblers with choreography by Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice & Daniel Desir