Events in NY this week: AFROPUNK FESTIVAL

Afro-punk, BAMcinematek, Toyota & Mountain Dew presentTHE 4TH ANNUAL AFRO-PUNK FESTIVAL

featuring Film, Music, Art, Skateboarding and Independence
July 4 - 13 in Brooklyn, NY

This summer Afro-Punk, BAMcinematek, Toyota & Mountain Dew will present the 4th annual Afro-Punk Festival, taking place July 4th - July 13th, 2008 in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. The festival is the definitive destination for the global Afro-Punk community and audiences yearning to experience true AP culture. Last year 30,000 people attended the festvial, and this year is expected to be even bigger, featuring 40 bands, 15 films being screened, a visual art exhibit and a skate park featuring 30 pro BMX riders/skaters.

Afro-Punk Festival 2008

Free and open to the public, Afro-Punk Festival 2008 will spotlight some of the most exciting young artists and bands from the US and abroad, presenting live music and films every night throughout the festival, along with several other key events including:
5th July 2008 Festival Launch Party @ AP Skate Park

12pm - 4pm: OPEN Skate Clinic 5pm - 6pm: DJ - Skate Board & BMX Demo
Special Guest DJ: Afrika Bambatta
Millsted Shawn Hewitt Janelle Monae The Apes Ends 11pm7th July 2008 @ AP Skate Park
12pm - 4pm: OPEN Skate Clinic 4pm: DJ - Skate Board & BMX Demo
Skyhy Tim Williams Shala Proton Hollywood Holt Ends 11pm
8th July 2008 @ AP Skate Park
12pm - 4pm: OPEN Skate Clinic 4pm: DJ - Skate Board & BMX Demo
Echo Jinx Disaster Us LIke Gravitiy McRad Cipher Whole Weat Bread Ends 11pm9th July 2008 @ AP Skate Park
12pm - 4pm: OPEN Skate Clinic DJ - Skate Board & BMX Demo
Planet Ubiquity Voodoo Fee Lets Go To War Bazaar Royale Game Rebellion Bone Crusher Ends 11pm
12th July 2008 @ Fort Greene ParkSophia Ramos Bermuda Little Jackie Tamar Kali The Dirtbombs
DJ HARD HITTING HARRY DJ DUSTBIN BROTHERS
8.30 - 10.00: Film Screening in the parkEnds 10pm
13th July 2008 BLOCK PARTY @ Clinton Ave
The Caesarz The Carps J*Davey Kudu
5.45pm - 8.00pm: DJ RICH MEDINA, ARTHUR BAKER, HARD HITTIN HARRY, DUSTBIN BROTHERS Ends 8pm

The AP Skate Park
A skate park including ramps and a half-pipe will be erected in the BAM car park and open for 5 full days of the festival. Staffed by BMX pro skaters who will give demonstrations, the AP Skate Park will provide free instruction for youth of all ages along with boards, pads, and helmets. Rounding out the Skate Park will be a music stage hosting a high-energy series of DJ sets and band performances.

The AP Art Series
This year AP presents the work of artists chosen from a supremely talented pool of young exhibition hopefuls, including a cooperative graffiti mural project courtesy of the Trust Your Struggle Art Collective. The critically acclaimed, multi-national collective of brilliant young visual artisans will bring more than 25 artists together to co-create a mural over the course of 5 days at the AP Skate Park.

THE BLOCK PARTY
The Afro-Punk Festival marketplaces will feature emerging artisans of the AP movement, representing music, fashion, arts & crafts, and more. And in a special collaboration between Afro-Punk, BAM, and MARP, the bi-monthly open-air Brooklyn Urban Arts Market (exclusively featuring local businesses) will launch during the AP Block Party.

Like every powerful music-based movement, Afro-Punk is deeper, broader, and more complex than a a simple genre designation. AP is a provocative social statement -- a remixed global aesthetic that influences youth fashion and personal style, and inspires a multitude of artists in a variety of disciplines as they come together to embrace and celebrate the AP culture. We invite you to join us in this celebration!