Center for Cultural Exchange

»	African in Maine

Project Description
African in Maine was a two-year project that advanced a new phase of fieldwork and programming to respond to the cultural needs of refugee Sudanese, Somalian, and Congolese communities in Portland. Activities built broader awareness of the diversity and conflicts affecting these newcomer African communities in Maine. The project drew upon contemporary and traditional African music and other art forms, and built upon CCE's foundation of cultural in-reach projects. Professional and community-based facilitators, along with CCE, facilitated dialogue opportunities in relation to master artist residencies and performances by Somali ensemble Shego Band, Congolese singer Tshibangu Kadima and his band RumbAfrica, and Sudanese singer Emanuel Kembe. Dialogues within refugee communities and with a broader public addressed how cultural representation or misrepresentations can impact public perception of refugee communities. These dialogues also worked to identify what constituted valued cultural resources for these groups and how they are recognized and supported in Maine.