African Routes Festival returns to Liverpool this November, bringing three packed days of dance, music, conversation and creativity to The Black-E.
Taking place from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th November 2026, this year’s festival, African Routes 2026: Fair Play, will bring together leading dancers, choreographers, academics, artists and community practitioners for a programme of workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses and live performances.
Hosted at The Black-E, the festival is open to everyone, with events listed as free/by donation. The vibrant programme continues African Routes’ exploration of inequality, diversity and inclusion through African dance and music, with each day built around one of three themes: Fairness, Freedom and Friendship.
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Friday: Fairness
The festival begins on Friday 6th November with a day dedicated to Fairness, examining education, opportunity and access within dance and the wider arts.
Following an opening libation from Dr H Patten MBE and a welcome from Karen Gallagher MBE and Andrea Vaz CEO, the first panel brings together Beverley Glean MBE, Dr Sharon Watson MBE DL and Dr H Patten MBE to discuss education and access, their own career pathways and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation.
One of Friday’s highlights will be a masterclass from internationally renowned choreographer nora chipaumire, alongside interdisciplinary artist tyronneisaacstuart. Their nhaka: art Making, the animist body, and radical Black African presences session draws on chipaumire‘s practice rooted in Shona culture and spirituality, combining physical practice, sound, gesture, language and critical discussion.
Later, Dr Leona Vaughn, Andrew Barney, Anna Louise Loy and Ithalia Johnson will present Liverpool, Reparations and Reparatory Justice, using visual art, music and movement to explore research around reparatory justice and Black health and wellbeing. The day concludes with a showcase featuring dance students from regional higher and further education institutions from 6.15 – 8pm
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Saturday: Freedom
Saturday 7th November turns its attention to Freedom, exploring what artistic freedom means for performers, practitioners, leaders and curators.
The programme starts with an Artists Coffee Morning, followed by a masterclass from award-winning interdisciplinary performer Akeim Toussaint Buck. Drawing on African diasporic dance practices and his own Beatmotion approach, the session will use movement and voice as tools for improvisation and creative expression.
nora chipaumire returns for a Black Dance Lecture, before Akeim Toussaint Buck joins David Blake, Yusra Warsama and Nathan Powell for a discussion on Freedom through leadership and curation. The panel will consider creative decision-making, producing work and ideas of success and failure within an artistic career.
Saturday culminates in a Triple Bill performance featuring IRIE! dance theatre, the IRIE! Performance Project and Francis Angol/Movement Angol starting at 7pm.
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Sunday: Friendship
The final day, Sunday 8th November, celebrates Friendship, community and the sheer joy of dancing together.
A morning panel entitled Friendship, the power of dancing with communities will feature Maxine Brown, Kerri Ankrah-Lucas and Wendy Okoli, looking at dance’s ability to bring people together and strengthen communities.
In the afternoon, Francis Angol and Dr H Patten MBE will come together for an In Conversation: Men in Dance session. Workshops follow, including one led by Zimbabwean-Scouse dance artist Ruvimbo Bliss Munodawafa, whose developing practice combines African diasporic movement, somatic dance and influences from her Zimbabwean roots and Liverpool identity.
The weekend then comes to a celebratory close as Maxine Brown presents the Bend Down Low Community Showcase, with the performance scheduled from 6.15pm to 8.15pm.
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A special celebration of Liverpool-born pioneer Lilian Bader
The African Routes celebrations will also continue beyond the main festival weekend with a special film, talk and performance on Wednesday 11th November, celebrating the life and legacy of Lilian Bader, a pioneering Black British woman whose remarkable story began in Liverpool.
Born Lilian Mary Bailey in Liverpool in 1918, Bader became one of the first Black women to serve in Britain’s armed forces. After initially facing discrimination because of her Barbadian heritage, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1941, training in the highly skilled role of instrument repairer and eventually rising to the rank of corporal.
Her achievements did not end with her wartime service. Bader later earned a history degree from the University of London, trained as a teacher and began a second career in education. She died in 2015 at the age of 97, leaving a legacy spanning military service, education and Black British history.
The special 11th November film, performance and talk offers an opportunity to celebrate that extraordinary legacy in the city where her story began.
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African Routes: Bringing the city to life with dance and cultural celebration
African Routes 2026: Fair Play takes place Friday 6th – Sunday 8th November 2026 at The Black-E, 1 Great George Street, Liverpool, L1 5EW. Friday runs from 10.30am, Saturday from 10.30am and Sunday from 10.30am, with programmes continuing into the evening. The events are open to all and are listed as free/by donation.
Whether you’re already immersed in the world of dance, want to discover more about African and African diasporic movement, or simply enjoy experiencing different cultures and creative ideas, African Routes 2026: Fair Play promises a fascinating and welcoming weekend of movement, discussion, learning and performance in the heart of Liverpool.
African Routes 2026: Fair Play / 6th — 8th November 2026 / The Black-E, 1 Great George Street, Liverpool, L1 5EW
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE FESTIVAL
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For more information visit The Black-E’s WEBSITE
