Host an Event
Radical Solidarity: An Invitation to Co-Create
The inaugural New York Black and African Literature Festival (NYBALF) arrives 5–7 September 2025, holding space in Harlem for writers, poets, thinkers, artists, activists, and community builders. At a moment when crises expose the limits of individual action, we ask how Radical Solidarity can re-shape Black and African possibilities. We invite proposals for panels, readings, performances, workshops, book launches, exhibitions, and boundary-pushing hybrid formats that test, complicate, or model this collective ethos in real time. Because radical times call for radical kinship.
Application deadline 18 August 2025, 11:59 PM ET
Invited Formats
Panel Conversation
A 60 min moderated dialogue among 3–5 voices. Think debate, deep dive, or cross-disciplinary roundtable.
Reading or Performance
Solo, duo, or ensemble sets featuring prose, poetry, spoken-word, music-text hybrids. Max 60 min. (We supply basic A/V.)
Book or Chapbook Launch
Celebrate a new title with a reading + Q&A, signing, or creative twist (mini-workshop, playlist, live illustration).
Workshop / Masterclass
Hands-on craft or theory session (15–30 participants) geared toward skill-building and shared practice.
Exhibition / Installation
Print, digital, or interactive work—wall space up to 12'×12' or floor footprint up to 10'×10'. Open to AR/VR components.
Community Activation
Walks, pop-ups, rituals, open mics, street-corner mini-salons, formats that spill beyond the proscenium and invite passers-by.
If your idea doesn’t fit neatly above, choose “Other” and describe it. We’re ready for surprises.
What We’re Looking For
Alignment
The proposal should engage Radical Solidarity, interrogating, celebrating, or complicating the theme in a way audiences can engage with.
Perspective
Center Black and African voices while welcoming intersectional, diasporic, and allied viewpoints.
Form & Feasibility
A clear structure, length, and technical plan that fit our venues and resources.
Audience Impact
Will participants leave with new knowledge, skills, or coalitions that persist after the festival?
Accessibility & Care
We value sessions that consider mobility, sensory needs, language access, and emotional safety.
Support You’ll Receive
Honorarium – tiers scaled to format (e.g., panels $300, workshops $500).
Production Crew – stage management, sound, projection, basic lighting, gallery install assistance.
Promotional Lift – feature on our website, app, social channels, and press pitches.
Festival Passes – free all-access badge for each participant + one companion per speaker/artist.
Community Circle – private online forum to network with fellow presenters before and after NYBALF.