2026 Speakers, Delegations and Special Guests

John Hunte

John Hunte PhD is a prominent Barbadian performer, arts activist, choreographer, and scholar with over 40 years of experience in the creative sector. He has been involved in the development of dance and cultural studies in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.  I lecture in creative and cultural studies at UWI Cave Hill and tutor in dance, theatre and cultural studies at the Barbados Community College. He is Executive Director of the Barbados Dance Project and AD/Principal of Barbados Dance Theatre Company. I previously served as the National Cultural Foundation's Cultural Officer for Dance and was the Artistic Coordinator for CARIFESTA XIII in 2017. 

Hunte graduated with a PhD in Cultural Studies from UWI Cave Hill, building on an MFA in Performing Arts Management, a BS in Dance, and a Diploma in Dance Theatre & Production. 

Involvement in the Barbados Landship Tradition

Following from his colleague the late Gene Carson I have become known as a leading figure in preserving and formalizing the Barbados Landship. He served on the Barbados Landship Association’s Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2024. Hunte wrote the online teacher’s training manual for the Barbados Landship. Also, I designed and coordinated the first Landship teacher certification course in partnership with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and UWI. In addition, between 2023 and 2024. Hunte was invited to coordinate the National Landship in Schools Training programme to ensure the tradition's survival among younger generations.

Keisha Dowridge

Keisha Dowridge is a Barbadian dancer, choreographer, educator, and creative director whose work spans performance, community arts, and film. With over a decade of experience in the performing arts, she has built a reputation for using dance as a tool for cultural expression, education, and social impact.

She began her dance journey at age 16 and went on to earn an Associate Degree in Dance from the Barbados Community College, where she trained in Ballet, Modern, and Caribbean Folk traditions under the guidance of distinguished practitioners including Gene Carson, Dr. John Hunte, Mary Waithe, Shama Harding, and Jennifer Sealy. She later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with First Class Honours in Creative and Performing Arts, as well as a Master of Arts in Creative Arts from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

A senior member of Dancin' Africa, Keisha has played a key role in the development and management of its performing companies while mentoring dancers across generations. Her choreographic work has been featured regionally and internationally, including the Barbados 50th Anniversary Monument (2016). She has participated in multiple CARIFESTA festivals and served as lead choreographer and performer at CARIFESTA XII in Trinidad and Tobago. Her international appearances include a performance in New York at an NBA game featuring the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.

In 2023, Keisha expanded into film, making her directorial debut with the short film Mrs. Clarke s Brown House, which was featured at the European Film Festival and the UWI Cave Hill Campus Open Week (2024). That same year, she coordinated a major dance production for the Miami Carnival Activation. In 2024, she served as Anthem Ceremony Coordinator for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Barbados.

Deeply committed to cultural preservation and youth development, Keisha serves as a lead tutor and Commander with the Barbados Landship Association, where she mentors young performers. She has also led dance education initiatives, including a summer program at the Girls Industrial School.

Dr. Emmanuel Cudjoe is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Ball State University and a distinguished Ghanaian dance scholar, educator, performer, choreographer, and musician whose work bridges embodied practice and academic research. Prior to joining Ball State, he served as Assistant Professor and ACM-Andrew Mellon Faculty Fellow in the Dance Department at St. Olaf College. He holds a Ph.D. in Dance Studies from Temple University, where his dissertation, From Palace to Academy: Embodiment, Transmission and Dis/continuation within the Asante Kete Dance of Ghana, examined the indigenous Asante Kete court dance system. He also holds a BFA in Theatre and Dance Studies and an MA in African Studies from the University of Ghana, as well as an MA in International Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage through the Erasmus Mundus Choreomundus program. Born and raised in Ghana, Dr. Cudjoe brings deep indigenous knowledge and extensive international experience to his teaching, research, and creative work. His scholarship focuses on African and Afro-diasporic dance, Afrocentricity, oral history, curriculum design, decoloniality, intangible cultural heritage, ethnography, and the postcolonial politics of dance knowledge. Dr. Cudjoe is also a committed advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and for using dance as a tool for cultural preservation and social transformation. Together with his wife, he co-founded Star That Shines, an NGO in Ghana that supports cultural education, performance workshops, and academic exchange programs between Ghana and international partners.

Agnes Afua Nyaanyowa Adomako-Mensah

Agnes Afua Nyaanyowa Adomako-Mensah is a PhD candidate in Museum and Heritage Studies at the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master's degree in Theatre Arts, with specializations in Music and Technical Theatre, respectively. Prior to her current doctoral studies, Adomako-Mensah served as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ghana, where she contributed to the development of academic programs and curriculum design. Her research interests encompass museum and heritage studies, cultural preservation, education, women and youth empowerment, racism, and identity politics. As a production designer, art curator, and performing artist, Adomako-Mensah explores diverse forms of art creation, often incorporating traditional Ghanaian elements such as drums, masks, symbols, and totems to address pressing social issues. Her work is characterized by a deep commitment to promoting cultural awareness, preserving Ghanaian heritage, and fostering social change. Through her artistic practice and academic research, Adomako-Mensah seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Ghanaian culture and society, while advocating for the importance of heritage preservation and cultural education in contemporary Ghana

Gloria Ahlijah

Sitso (Gloria Ahlijah) is an instructor, dancer and choreographer hailing from Ghana, West Africa and, a graduate from the University of Michigan. She is serving as an Assistant Professor of African Contemporary Forms at the University of Iowa. She has undergone comprehensive training in West African Dance, African Contemporary Dance, and Afrobeat. As an educator she hopes to make great impact by contributing to cultural appreciation, preservation and identity discovery through her art form. Finally, as a facilitator, she conducts workshops aimed at helping individuals connect with their bodies and minds through movement. Her choreographies possess a unique essence  as they strive to amplify individual voices and share stories that resonate with people from all walks of life.

Benjamin Amakye-Boateng

Dr. Benjamin Amakye-Boateng is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Music at the University of Ghana, Legon. His research centers on African music, identity, performance practice, and digital approaches to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, with particular focus on the music of the Tabom community and Ghanaian drumming traditions. He is active as a choral conductor, music director, and researcher, and has led numerous community-based and university ensembles in performance, creative production, and cultural education. Dr. Amakye-Boateng’s work engages ethnomusicology, digital humanities, and music pedagogy, contributing to scholarly discourse, archival innovation, and the sustainable transmission of Ghana’s musical heritage.

 Kofi Anthonio

Kofi Anthonio is a practitioner, dance educationalist, choreographer and a PhD research fellow of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. He holds an MFA degree in Dance. He has created many works and has performed extensively in Ghana and abroad. One notable instance where I performed and served as Associate Artistic Director for the National Dance Company of Ghana at the recent BAM festival in 2023.

 Patience Nana Akua Anthonio

Patience Nana Akua Anthonio holds a BFA degree in Dance and MA in Business administration at the University of Ghana. She is a researcher and a Banker at the same time. She performed at the BAM festival 2023 for the National Dance Company of Ghana.

Zahra Badua

Zahra Badua is a multifaceted artist whose work is deeply rooted in her love for dance, education, and the rich cultural heritage of the African diaspora. Her mission within the dance landscape is to preserve and celebrate the beauty and diversity of African and Caribbean-based dance forms. With extensive training in Traditional West African dance (Ghana and Guinea) and various West and Central African street styles, Zahra has performed, taught, and choreographed for numerous dance companies, schools, and events across Canada and the United States.

She is the founder of ZahraMoves, an educational and performance-based company. Its educational branch focuses on the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of African diasporic dances, while the performance branch provides a platform for emerging artists of color to grow, experiment, and develop their craft. Her skills also extend beyond the stage, where she works as a rehearsal director and stagemanager for numerous artistic projects across Toronto. Zahra currently serves as the Production and Engagement Coordinator for dance Immersion, a  Black-led non-profit organization that produces, promotes, and supports dancers and dances of the African diaspora. Her breadth of experience enables her to navigate the creative process across performance, education, and administrative spaces. Zahra’s goal is to ensure that people are able to experience dance in meaningful ways while staying connected to their communities.

Anita Barnie

Anita Barnie has over seven years of experience in natural resources management, with specialization in forestry and climate change initiatives and research , She has a master’s degree in Climate Change and Sustainable Development and a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management. She is a Forest Range Manager at the Forestry Commission of Ghana, and experienced in sustainable forest resources management and governance. She assists in ensuring that national and international social and environmental safeguards in REDD+ activities are adhered to ensure high-integrity carbon reductions for carbon crediting programmes in Ghana. She is a trained climate negotiator and a nominated technical expert reviewer. She has participated as a technical expert for the United Nations Climate Change in the Article 6 technical expert reviews of initial reports submitted under Article 6, paragraph 2 of the Paris Agreement in Bonn, Germany. She has a proven track record of working with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and community groups on resource management issues. Anita is a 2024 Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Youth Fellow. Her skills in communicating climate change through community engagement enable her to effectively support policy and governance reforms and research.

Mustapha Braimah

Mustapha Braimah is a distinguished artist-scholar hailing from Ghana, West Africa, bringing with him an impressive career that spans over two decades of international experience and high artistic acclaim. His lifelong commitment to the arts encompasses a multifaceted role as a choreographer, educator, curator, performer, musician, and administrator, demonstrating his versatility and dedication to the diverse realms of artistic expression. He has attained a robust academic background, holding three degrees that underscore his dance-making, performance, and cultural studies expertise. Mustapha earned his Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Dance from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he honed his skills and deepened his understanding of choreography, pedagogy, and performance. His academic journey continued with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in African Studies from Ohio University, further enriching his understanding of global contexts in which his art is rooted. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Dance from the University of Ghana, Legon, which provided the foundational stones for his artistic pursuits in dance.

Currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Mount Holyoke College and a faculty member of the Five College Consortium, Mustapha is deeply committed to teaching, mentorship, and fostering inclusive artistic spaces. His dynamic career includes directing the Dance Program at the University of North Carolina Asheville and performing globally with Azaguno Inc., under the leadership of Paschal Yao Younge and Zelma Badu-Younge. Blending contemporary, popular, and traditional African dance styles, Mustapha’s community-centered work promotes creative innovation, cross-cultural dialogue, and the transformative power of the arts in society.

Solomon Y. Dartey

Solomon Y. Dartey is a multi-hyphenated theatre artist and educator working in an International Baccalaureate (IB) School as the Artistic Director, Theatre and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) facilitator. He holds a PhD degree in Arts and Culture, with his research focusing on the use of devised theatre and folklore to promote the Sustainable Development Goals. He is a member of the following organisations: International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA). A member of Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), International Drama/Theatre and Education Association (IDEA) and The International Theatre Institute (ITI). He is a board member and General Manager of PentOnyx Studios and a Director of Orchestration Lighting Design Ltd.

Lebogang Disele-Pitso Ph.D

Lebo Disele-Pitso Ph.D is a lecturer at the University of Botswana in the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Programme. She obtained her PhD in Performance Studies from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Her focus in theatre and performance includes dance, acting, directing, voice and more recently, dramaturgy. Lebo is a performer-researcher/scholartist focused on interdisciplinary work that explores the link between performance, gender and sustainable development. She is particularly interested in the use of Botswana traditional performance in research to cultivate and document women's leadership as a step towards gender equity in leadership. Dr. Disele-Pitso is also an active theatre-maker with a focus in movement, acting, directing, and dramaturgy. She recently played Nomkhubulwane and other characters in Tololwa Mollel’s Anthem of Life (Theatre Prospero 2024). She also co-created and performed in Breaking Ground (2024). Other performance credits include Ogboingba tries to change her fate at the Jabulani Arts Festival (Ribbon rouge Foundation 2024), The Wolves (Maggie Tree/Citadel), The Space Between (NextFest 2021, Expanse Festival 2022), “Radical Imagination” in Brandon Wint’s Freedom Journal: Antidotes to Violence as Care (2022); All That Binds Us (Azimuth Theatre, 2020) and What (Black) Life Requires (Expanse Festival, 2018).

 Setse Tetteh Djan IV (Richard Shamo Sackey)

Setse Tetteh Djan IV (Richard Shamo Sackey) is a distinguished traditional leader and multi-disciplinary professional with over 15 years of experience spanning cultural administration, corporate management, and community development. Enstooled in 2024 as the Paramount Stoolfather Regent of Prampram and Head of the Annor We Royal Family Division, he serves as a vital link between ancient traditional heritage and modern administrative excellence.

Jackie Waife Donker

My name is Jackie, I'm a grade 11 student residing in Fort Mcmurray. I am apart of the black student union at my school (Father Mercredi Highschool) and I am previous participant in African centres: Black Youth leadership program for the Cultural bridges project

Mohammed Faisel

Faisal Mohammed (he/him) is a doctoral candidate in Heritage Studies at Arkansas State University, where his research examines the intersections of health, heritage, and community development in rural Black communities in the United States. His work explores how embodied practices, cultural knowledge systems, and heritage preservation contribute to community well-being and sustainable development. He holds an MA in Dance Anthropology from a four-university European consortium, including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Szeged (Hungary), the University of Auvergne (France), and Roehampton University (UK). His interdisciplinary approach draws on dance studies, development anthropology, and heritage studies to center community voices and illuminate the vital role of cultural practices in health and resilience.

Aniekere Inyang

Aniekere Inyang is a first-year graduate student in Ethnomusicology at the University of Alberta whose research interest focuses on the Ibibio mbopo tradition of Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. Her work examines how mbopo songs, movements, and teachings shape and negotiate female identity within both homeland and diasporic contexts. Using ethnographic methods, oral histories, nethnography, and performance analysis, she explores mbopo as a living, evolving cultural practice that carries gendered knowledge across generations and geographies. Her work contributes to discussions in ethnomusicology, gender studies, African and diaspora studies, and anthropology, with particular attention to how text, rhythm, embodiment, and tradition construct female identity.

Adjetey Klufio

Adjetey Klufio, a leading voice in global dance pedagogy and practice, currently serves as an assistant Professor of Dance at Goucher College and is the Artistic Director of the Osagyefo Dance Company. His foundational mastery stems from a rigorous ten-yeartenure with Ghana's most prestigious ensemble, the National Dance Company of Ghana, The Ghana Dance Ensemble. During this formative period, he ascended to the ranks of Principal Dancer and Soloist, gaining profound expertise in the West African aesthetic and technique that forms the core of this study.

Transitioning to the United States, Adjetey successfully fused his traditional background with formal Western academic training, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance and choreography at Towson University, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in choreography from Wilson College.

His illustrious performing career is marked by international recognition and high-profile engagements. His professional credits with the National Dance Company include the rare distinction of having performed for three consecutive United States Presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Further cementing his critical acclaim, his performance at the 2012 Dance Africa festival was
singled out by the New York Times as “spectacular and subtle.” Adjetey continues to shape the academic and cultural discourse, notably serving as a distinguished panelist at the Smithsonian Teaching Africa Day in 2025, where he shared his knowledge on the crucial intersection of African culture and education.

Uthman Khan

Uthman Khan’s research develops a theory of affective resonance that moves between embodied experience and institutional form. Working at the intersection of affect theory and sociocultural anthropology, he examines how emotions, expectations, and power circulate across bodies, organizations, and systems, linking micro-level experience with macro-level structures. His work is grounded in ethnographic research across musical, bureaucratic, and digital settings, with implications for understanding leadership, organizational culture, and institutional change.  

Deborah Kissi

Deborah Kissi is a Ghanaian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist and medical research professional with extensive experience across academic, clinical and community based research settings. Currently at the University of Alberta, she contributes to genetic, haematology and rheumatology research affecting women and the pediatric population.

As a dance artist, Deborah is a performer, choreographer and teacher. She bridges specific traditional West African movements with contemporary, worship dance and Afro-fusion expression in her work. Her work explores how dance acts as a dynamic language of belonging, restoration, and cultural continuity. Informed by her grounding in health psychology, she understands movement as a therapeutic vehicle for holistic wellness, positioning dance as both an individual and collective site of liberation. Her practice is anchored in cultural memory, embodied narrative, and the preservation of African diasporic narratives. Her passion for the arts community inspires her to collaborate, innovate, and cultivate spaces for identity formation, expressive freedom, and transformative healing.

Alfred Elikem Kunutsor PhD

Alfred Elikem Kunutsor is an arts educator, performer, performance maker, and project leader. He is interested in harnessing the transformative power of performance through co-creation with natural, cultural, and societal phenomena. His work in creative arts somatic education spans Ghana, South Africa, and Germany. Elikem has lectured in Movement Studies at the Wits School of Arts, Wits University, and the Centre for Theatre Dance and Performance Studies, University of Cape Town- South Africa, where he obtained his PhD in Theatre. He has taught Performance Studies and Design in the Theatre Arts Department at the University of Ghana. Additionally, he served as the Head of the Creative Arts Department at Tema International School-Ghana. Elikem is also the artistic director of Meraki Arts Africa Ltd in Ghana.

Erik Gyamfi Kwarteng

Eric Gyamfi Kwarteng is an archaeologist and psychologist with five years of professional experience, working at the intersection of material culture and human behavior. Eric started basic education at the St. Patrick´s Junior High School, continued to St. James Seminary and Senior High School all in Sunyani in the Bono Ahafo Region of Ghana. He furthered at the University of Ghana in Archaeology, Psychology and Philosophy and is currently pursuing masters in archaeology specifically prehistory at Freie University in Berlin.

Kwarteng, had previously worked with the Institute of Statistical Social Economic Research Center (ISSER) at the University of Ghana as a research assistant and now works for the German (Deutche) Archaeology Institute (DAI) as he is responsible for data documentation and the publishing of research works on the communication department´s website. 

His research draws on both archaeological evidence and psychological theory to better understand how past societies shaped patterns of thought, behavior, and social organization. Through this interdisciplinary approach, Eric aims to make scholarly insights accessible while contributing to broader discussions on human experience across time as he believes in continuous learning.

Natasha Martin

Natasa Chanta-Martin is a Greek-American dance anthropologist and percussive dance artist (body music, tap dance) who focuses on rhythm arts of Nigeria and Ghana and Northern America, alongside her longterm work with the African diaspora of Greece. Natasa holds an MA from Choreomundus: International Master in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage and she is the co-founder of Anasa Cultural Center, the only Afrodiasporic and Black studies center in Greece. She works as a freelance artist, researcher, cultural manager and educator in Europe and Africa. Natasa is a 2026 MIASA Artist in Residence at University of Ghana Legon.

Miho Matsushita

Miho Matsushita is a Master’s student in the M.A. in Music program at the University of Alberta, with a primary research focus on ethnomusicology. Her work centers on African children’s musical cultures, particularly play songs as communal artistic practices and systems of musical transmission.

She holds an M.Phil. in Music from the University of Ghana, where she conducted ethnographic fieldwork on Ewe children’s play songs (fefehawo) in Ziope, southeastern Ghana. Beginning in 2004, she carried out multiple periods of fieldwork involving participant observation and audiovisual documentation in both school and community settings. Her research examines how singing, clapping, body movement, lyrics, and game procedures interact to create complex cross-rhythmic and kinesthetic musical structures, highlighting musical elements as integral components of children’s play.

Matsushita also holds a B.A. in Music from Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo, with training in electric keyboard organ performance and music education. In addition to her academic work, she has over 25 years of teaching experience in Japan, Zimbabwe, and the United States. Her pedagogical practice integrates African music and children’s play songs into music education to foster embodied learning, creativity, and cross-cultural understanding.

Her research interests include African music, children’s play songs, music in the African diaspora, music education, and World Music Pedagogy. Through her work, she seeks to foreground children’s musical play as a vital form of cultural heritage that sustains community, creativity, and cultural identity.

Collette Murray

Collette “Coco” Murray is an award‑winning dance artist-scholar, cultural educator whose work bridges African and Caribbean diasporic traditions with community centred practice and culturally relevant pedagogy (www.misscocomurray.com). Rooted in the rich aesthetics of West African, Caribbean folk, carnival arts, and stilt-dancing, Murray’s performance and choreographic work reclaims cultural narratives and centers Black artistic excellence. Her scholarship and public speaking advance conversations on equity, representation, and decolonizing arts spaces, positioning her as a respected voice in the national arts landscape. Currently pursuing a PhD in Dance Studies at York University, Murray holds a Master of Education, a Specialized Honours BA in Race, Ethnicity & Indigeneity, a Certificate in Anti-Racist Research and Practice from York University, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Toronto.

In her capacity as Chair of the Board of Directors at Dance Umbrella of Ontario, Murray champions sector-wide equity, strategic planning, and organizational change, bringing a decolonizing lens to arts governance and arts management. Her advocacy extends nationally through her role on the Canadian Dance Assembly’s National Council, where she supports initiatives that advance professional dance and amplify underrepresented voices. Recognized with the Toronto Arts Foundation Community Arts Award and the National Dance Education Organization’s Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, Murray continues to shape Canada’s arts sector through creativity, leadership, and unwavering advocacy.