Coils and Combs presented by Ilarun:The Cutting Comb

A vibing Sunday afternoon of music, food, art and activities centred on Black / Afro and Brown / Curly hair.

A warm space to bring your hair story, learn about how to care for your coils, and leave with nourishment, inspiration and hair care goodies.

All genders, hair types and allies are welcomed. If you're not a textured hair type owner, come be an ally and listen in, dance and eat with us. Allies welcomed!

This is an inclusive, family-friendly, community event.

Sunday, November 10th

Doors Open at 3:00 PM with:

Music: enjoy the soulful sounds of Zare Demus, renowned for his performances at the Jamaican Music and Food Festival.
Delicious Jamaican Food: indulge in authentic Jamaican cuisine catered by Patwah Kitchen: Jerk Chicken, Rice n' Peas, Festival and Sweet Potato Pudding
African Comb and African Mask Art Exhibition: a collection of African combs and art curated by Ella Rowe and Maleik Njoroge.
Afro-Pick Making Station: Participate in Afro-pick making and explore the art of African comb and mask design. Perfect for kids and adults alike!
Hair Care Products: Discover and shop a curated selection of hair care products to nourish and empower your black/brown hair. Products on sale by Embrace your Frizzique , Hawee's Homemade and The Well-Made Family pantry

Join us for a hair-raising Good time:

4:00 PM: Afro Hair-Cutting and care Demonstration and conversation
5:00 PM: Panel Discussion: Join a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of hair, art, and identity with stylist Gloria Chol, braider and artist Lisa Neema, performer and theatre maker, Amarantha and sculptor and designer Sandra Githinji

Don't miss: Ilarun:The Cutting Comb, a powerful play by Amarantha Robinson about the resilience and rebellion of black women.

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Parents grab a ticket and bring the kids! Children under 10 are free.

This social is the launch event for Amarantha's play, Ilarun:The Cutting Comb

Collaboratively produced by the creative practices of:

Amarantha, Elvies Studios, Sandra Githinji Design Studio and All Tribes are Beautiful Lab

Amarantha:

Amarantha is a Jamaican dancer, writer, performer and theatre producer whose work elevates and celebrates Afro-Caribbean magic, culture, mysticism and history. As a dancer her style is a riveting mix of contemporary and Afro-Caribbean forms. Her 20 year career as an arts producer started in Kingston, where she managed video projects for Jamaica's prolific music sector. Fuelled by the fire of telling the stories of her West African ancestors and sharing the joy of her Caribbean culture, she writes and produces plays that create spaces of connection for Afro-diasporic peoples in Australia. Her one-woman show Oshun, about the Yoruba goddess of love, femininity and fertility had a sold-out season at La Mama theatre in February 2024. Her new ensemble play ILARUN: The Cutting Comb is programmed for fortyfivedownstairs in December 2024.

Ella Rowe:

The owner of Elvie's Studios, Ella is an Australian Papua New Guinean hairdresser who created a space where black and brown bodies can celebrate their natural beauty, have their hair done and be treated with respect and love. Having experienced the lack of education and visibility, which has led to hairdressers not being able to cut or style natural curls, waves and coils with confidence, Ella created the anti-dote: a space where black and brown identity, culture and ancestral stories are valued. Bringing a wealth of experience in hair education, she works with curly, coily, wavy & textured hair in her community, in musical theatre productions and for internationally acclaimed hair salons.

Sandra Githinji:

Sandra Githinji Studio is an award-winning interdisciplinary design practice led by Sandra Githinji. The practice spans the intersections of cultural histories, pedagogy, activism, and the built form with a focus on challenging the western-centric perspective, falsely perpetuated as a global norm, through cultural expressions that centre an African perspective, both on the continent and diasporic. The studio works across scales and typologies, including hospitality, residential, retail, exhibition, object design and brand collaborations.

Maleik Njoroge:

Maleik uses his dream and love affair with chess to bring worlds of design and fabrics together, birthing his design studio ATAB.Lab. He mostly makes really cool unique chess sets like the handmade chess dhurrie chess rug that comes with XBLOX pieces. He also curate event experiences that share this love of chess and design with different communities. Maleik brings his prowess of creating slick events that brings people together around a single idea to the Coils and Combs collective.