All Ah We-All Of Us

Causes: Arts & Culture, Arts Education, Unknown

Mission: Founded in 1991, All Ah We adopted the motto, "Building Bridges through Culture" to express our commitment to uniting people from all walks of life from all over the world under our banner. Our primary objective is to promote the music, theater, dance, and costume traditions that characterize Caribbean carnival. In doing so, we reach out to people of all nationalities in an effort to break down the barriers that polarize our neighborhoods, especially those divisions that characterize the African, Caribbean, and African-American communities. Since 1995, we have been working to expand our arts programming into the schools, targeting inner-city middle schools that have high-risk populations.

Programs: All Ah We implements several community-based programs: Arts in Education Programs: Currently, All Ah We is sponsoring 1) an afterschool arts enrichment program, entitled "Hunting the Spirit through Dance and Drum," at two Oakland middle school sites; 2) Afro-Caribbean dance and drum classes for adults and teens in San Francisco; and 3) hands-on costume-making and design workshops for adults and teens in Oakland. Dance Performance Company: In June 1992, All Ah We created the All Ah We Dance and Drum Ensemble, that over the years has proven itself to be a vibrant and highly entertaining performance troupe. The company?s performances reflect the folklore dance, music, and costume traditions of Trinidad, Jamaica, Dominica, Barbados, and other Caribbean nations. Carnival Production: Each year, All Ah We creates an award-winning Caribbean-style masquerade production that we present in local community festivals and events. Working closely with scores of volunteers, All Ah We designs and constructs costumes for over 100 dancers and school children from collaborating elementary and middle schools.