Goma, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - David Rooster is an accomplished and beautiful dancer whose work has been seen around the world. We feel really lucky to be sharing his great work here. His pieces are emotional, political, and technically beautiful.

Cleveland, OHIO - Tekikki Walker is an artist and designer in Ohio. Her work is textural, challenging, and thought-provoking. She is definitely someone to be watched… which is why we are showing three of her works.

Calgary and Cleveland - A collaboration reflecting on race and the pandemic between artists Tekikki Walker and Simone Saunders has crossed borders.

NY, USA - Jacqueline B Arnold, most recently seen as La Chocolat in Moulin Rouge on Broadway, teamed up with Caroline, or Change’s Anastasia McCleskey and friends to film this fun, uplifting performance for The Social Distancing Festival! This one is meant to lift spirits, and it definitely delivers on that promise. Thanks so much for sending us this video and hopefully you’ll all be back on stage soon!

USA - Last year, artist Virginia Mallon began organizing a nationwide tour of shows for a collaboration of artists entitled ‘Artists for Social Justice 2020’. This collaborative and expansive show was set to launch this past March at Queen’s College of the City University of New York. Unfortunately it is now postponed due to social distancing, but let me tell you, we are OBSESSED with this collection. Beautiful art mixed with timely issues of social justice? What more do you need?!

Dar es Salaam and Toronto - The amazing song Wild Heart by Anika Johnson, Barbara Johnston, and Suzy Wilde (Toronto), danced to by Tadhi Alawi (Dar es Salaam)

ITALY - From the artist: I made this installation and it is in Italy which because it became the European epicentre of the virus will not be seen by very many people at all. The space town region and then the country it is in went to lockdown. www.sebarrett.net

Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA - Yabsira Desalegne is an artist and student in Ethiopia whose work is poignant, sharp, and eye-catching. The focus of this work is photography and manipulation. In this series, Yabsira was hoping to capture the ways in which social distancing has impacted the low income parts of his community.

Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA - uKhoiKhoi is a live looping, musical performance art showpiece, encompassing multilingual expressions through opera, indigenous chants and praise poetry, using a variety of traditional and contemporary instruments to create their unique afro-futuristic sound that is rooted in the PAST, existing in the PRESENT and channeling the FUTURE of AFRICA.

Oja, California, USA - “The Falling” is a spoken prose story about getting dumped, the failure to receive, and being like a Vulture. Delivered in Licity Collins’ signature raw, open, style that exposes intimate details in real-time. Licity offers her life to be carved up and consumed in a style like the vultures to which she compares herself.

Calgary, CANADA - This work is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. We don’t post much student work, but when we do… it’s exceptional. Simone Saunders is in her final year at the Alberta University of the Arts. Her tufted artwork is inspiring, political, colourful, and thought-provoking.

NIGERIA - Well this is amazing. Rotex is an indie musician in Nigeria whose music is known to be captivating and intelligent. He intended to release this lyrics video in an effort to promote the release of an upcoming album, and worked hard to make that happen. We are so glad that you submitted it to us! It is SO good.

From the artist;

I was supposed to release it this weekend as part of the promotional content but the pandemic has taken all the attention and I’m afraid of it going under the radar. I did this with the amazing collective of creatives around me (NKEM "NOJ" , OGE, REGGIE, ACE, DAMICOOL, OGOHCLEM & GIDEON).

New York, USA - THIS IS SO GOOD! Dancers Kristin Draucker and Michael Trusnovec put this gorgeous piece together along with a hugely talented selection of dancers from professional dance companies in New York.

NYC, USA - This submission, sent by dancer Busola George, is a gorgeous rehearsal video of a piece that’s all about accepting love, whether it’s love from others or love for yourself. Important subject at a time like this, where suddenly relationships seem to matter a whole lot more than that promotion. I was captivated by Busola’s movement, the intricate choreography, and the emotion of the piece.

The Rhondda Valleys, WALES - Rooting Hip Hop Theatre in Wales is a training programme for Welsh Hip Hop Theatre, for dancers, teachers and the community. In this video, which is replacing workshops that were cancelled by Covid-19, Duwane Taylor talks you through foundations Krump Dance.

Philadelphia, USA - This collection of images was submitted to us by the artist and creator, Scot J. Wittman. This beautiful mix of photography and dance is a larger part of the piece, Duencia, which has been created by Scot.

Jacmal, HAITI - This virtual exhibit sent to us by the Jacmel Arts Center in Haiti is GORGEOUS. Featuring 16 different artists from the center, this exhibit was supposed to open at different galleries across the United States, but unfortunately due to social distancing, they were never shown to the public.

Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA - Tadhi Alawi is a performing artist/dancer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who was supposed to present this dance video and a new solo at the Laois Dance Platform festival in Ireland, which was sadly cancelled. This piece is truly amazing.

Houston, USA - Choreographed and conceptualized by SMCD Founder and Artistic Director Elijah Gibson, Color Me Bad illustrates aspects of his personal relationships and experiences. Color Me Bad brings awareness to the discrimination and marginalization faced by people in the LGBT community.