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11th Annual Florida African Dance Festival

June 12 – 14, 2008

Program Description:

The African Caribbean Dance Theatre, Inc., (ACDT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth and adult cultural education organization based in Tallahassee, Florida. Its mission is to provide a program that ensures participants a high level of self-respect, self-esteem, self-confidence, discipline, community and cultural pride through African dance and drumming traditions.

In its fourteen-year history, ACDT has provided year-round classes, workshops and performances for the Tallahassee and Florida community at-large. The annual presentation of the Florida African Dance Festival (FADF) became a natural component of ACDT’s program services in 1998. The 11th Annual FADF will be presented June 12 - 14, 2008 on the campus of Tallahassee Community College. It will feature Florida, national and internationally renowned artists in dance and drum workshops and a performance concert. Other highlights include children’s dance and drum workshops, vendor marketplace, natural hair extravaganza, book fair and health education forum on HIV/AIDS.

Festival Goals 2008:

To increase African cultural education programs for the Florida community at-large.

To make African dance and drumming related activities more accessible to families throughout Florida and Southeast region.

To provide a qualitative cultural education forum for national, statewide and regional participation utilizing Florida, national and internationally recognized artists.

To use the festival as a medium for healthcare education and awareness.

Festival Objectives to Achieve Goals 2008:

To plan a 3-day event with over 25 activities; including forums/activities on HIV/AIDS.

To add 4 children’s dance workshops and 2 children’s drum workshops to schedule.

To engage over 30 individual/group artists as presenters.

To pursue contributions both cash and in-kind from governmental, corporate, foundations and individuals.

To collaborate with other organizations to promote the festival (i.e. churches, schools, civic/business organizations).

To collaborate with many other organizations involved in HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and treatment programs (i.e. FL Dept. of Health, National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control, FAMU Institute of Drug Information, Big Bend Cares, SHISA).

To launch broad-based marketing and promotions on festival webpage and other websites, statewide newspapers, television, radio, state/national magazines, billboards.

To select venues that would adequately accommodate participants for activities.

To use volunteers to implement program activities.

To distribute HIV/AIDS informational materials at all of the festival events.

Funding Secured As 12/21/07

Various Businesses, Foundations, Individuals; Proposals Submitted/PendingNational Endowment for the Arts; Applied For/Pending

Leon County Tourist Development Council; AwardedDiv. of Cultural Affairs, FL Department of State; Awarded 50% cut

COCA, City of Tallahassee; Awarded

Festival Attendance Anticipated for 2008:

ACDT anticipates over 3,500 attendees for June 2008.

Festival Schedule of Activities 2008

Over 25 activities will be planned for the 3-day conference that include the following:

Saturday, June 14 Performance Concert & Post-Concert ReceptionSaturday,

June 14 5 Dance & 4 Drum Workshops, Marketplace 2 Children’s Dance & 1 Children’s Drum Workshop; FREE Health Education Forum; Health ScreeningsFriday,

June 13 5 Dance & 4 Drum Workshops, Marketplace 2 Children’s Dance & 1 Children’s Drum Workshop; FREEThursday,

June 12 Welcoming Reception

Festival Participants’ Costs 2007:

FREE, Health Forum on HIV/AIDS; Also Health Screenings

FREE, Welcoming Reception

FREE, Children’s Dance & Drum Workshops

FREE, Festival Marketplace

Complimentary Tickets will be provided to local youth and senior citizens’ organizations

$10 Per Person, Individual Workshops

$10 Per Person, CONCERT

FREE, Post-Concert Reception

Festival Venues

Tallahassee Community College (Workshops and Festival Marketplace)

Lee Hall Auditorium, FAMU (Performance Concert)

Homewood Suites, Host Hotel

Festival Evaluation Plan 2008:

ACDT will use attendance figures, surveys, written and verbal feedback to determine effectiveness of the project. Ticket sales, number of participants attending festival activities, and evaluation surveys given to participants at each festival activity are methods ACDT will use to measure program impact. ACDT will use the evaluation surveys to determine how participants receive presenters, view overall activities and organizational structure.

For more information, contact the African Caribbean Dance Theatre at 850-539-4087 or log onto www.fadf.org. See video of the 10th Annual FADF Concert go to: youtube.com/wfsuoutloud