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The Underworld Black Arts Festival is a community-based project that celebrates Black creatives from around the world. Launched in Cincinnati, our festival acts as an incubator for experimental work, innovation, and intergenerational dialogue. We unite lovers of movement, music, art and creativity. 

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About

WE OUT HERE.

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OCT 19

THURSDAY

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OCT 20

FRIDAY

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OCT 21

SATURDAY

2023 Line Up

  • Tommy Gun Sessions
    Tommy Gun Sessions
    Thu, Oct 19
    Contemporary Arts Center
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 1
  • Cocktails & Cinema
    Cocktails & Cinema
    Thu, Oct 19
    Contemporary Arts Center
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 1
  • International Artists Panel on Art & Activism
    International Artists Panel on Art & Activism
    Thu, Oct 19
    Contemporary Arts Center
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 1
  • A Dialogue with Danny Simmons & Ursula Rucker
    A Dialogue with Danny Simmons & Ursula Rucker
    Thu, Oct 19
    Contemporary Arts Center
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 19, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 1
  • Healing Colonial Trauma
    Healing Colonial Trauma
    Fri, Oct 20
    Aronoff Center for the Arts - Black Box
    Oct 20, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
    Aronoff Center for the Arts - Black Box, 650 Walnut St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 20, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
    Aronoff Center for the Arts - Black Box, 650 Walnut St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 2
  • The Portal : A Hip Hop Experience at the CAC
    The Portal : A Hip Hop Experience at the CAC
    Fri, Oct 20
    Contemporary Arts Center
    Oct 20, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Oct 20, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
    Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E 6Th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Day 2
  • Beats, Basketball & The Bag w/ Kenny Parker
    Beats, Basketball & The Bag w/ Kenny Parker
    Sat, Oct 21
    Evanston Recreation Center
    Oct 21, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
    Evanston Recreation Center, 3204 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207, USA
    Oct 21, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
    Evanston Recreation Center, 3204 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207, USA
    Day 3
  • DJ Set & Hip Hop Party/ DJ Kenny Parker
    DJ Set & Hip Hop Party/ DJ Kenny Parker
    Sat, Oct 21
    Music Resource Center
    Oct 21, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
    Music Resource Center , 3032 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45206, USA
    Oct 21, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
    Music Resource Center , 3032 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45206, USA
    Day 3
Upcoming

The Underworld Jazz Festival was launched in 2018 to amplify rich, colorful and nuanced Black art traditions. We use the word "underworld" because despite the revenue it generates, Black art remains marginal to mainstream society. We use the term "jazz"; less as genre and more as a way to think about approach to music, creativity and life.  In 2022, the Jazz festival was crowned as The Black Arts Festival to truly demonstrate our dedication to 360° of Black Creativity.

GALLRY

The Underworld Black Arts Festival exercises traditions such as the Mobilization of Congo Square [Pop Up Improvised Jazz] and the cultivation of collaborations between Cincinnati based, regional and International artists.

TRADITION
CONTACT US
Sponsors

2023 SPONSORS