Akwaaba Dance Project
Where sacred dance, ancestral memory and storytelling keep the circle unbroken.
The Akwaaba Dance Project is a film and educational initiative founded by Gullah Geechee filmmaker and educator Olubayo Jackson.
Rooted in the Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor, the project traces cultural connections between the African continent and the extended African diaspora—including the Caribbean, South and Central America, and the Lowcountry region of the Southern United States including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Featured Films
Offerings
Community Screenings
Olubayo's community film screenings offer an enriching experience by showcasing films like Ringshout, Akwaaba Dance Project or Geechie Kunda, all dedicated to sustaining our culture and telling our stories.
Join us for a thought-provoking evening that celebrates our heritage and fosters community connections through powerful storytelling.
Workshops & School Partnerships
Our programs not only foster creativity and teamwork but also immerse participants in the rich traditions of dance and culture, making both fun and impactful.
Akwaaba Dance Project partners with schools and organizations to deliver hands-on, culturally grounded learning through our engaging workshops.
Speaking Engagements
Olubayo's community film screenings offer an enriching experience by showcasing films like Ringshout, Akwaaba Dance Project or Geeche Kunda, all dedicated to sustaining our culture and telling our stories.
Join us for a thought-provoking evening that celebrates our heritage and fosters community connections through powerful storytelling.
Educational Curriculum
Our educational curriculum offer a vibrant exploration of Gullah Geeche, Caribbean and West African practices, fostering creativity and cultural appreciation.
Through experiences such as the Akwaaba Dance & Media Pen-Pal Project, Basket Making and Dancing Through Our Connections, students engage in dynamic exchange, celebrating connections and shared experiences through movement and art.
Olubayo Lindiwe Jackson is a Gullah Geechee dancer, educator, and filmmaker whose work traces African cultural continuities across the diaspora through movement and film. Rooted in her family’s history in the American South and guided by her initiation into African womanhood, her practice follows the paths of her ancestors—from West Africa through the Middle Passage to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Corridor—examining what was preserved despite forced separation.
Within her practice, Olubayo creates documentary films alongside workshops, youth programs, lectures, and speaking engagements that explore African diasporic culture through dance, ritual, and the arts.
Centering her own family history and creative journey, Jackson uses film as a tool for preservation and education—documenting oral traditions and lived experiences to inspire young people to record, protect, and share their own cultural stories using the media and technology already available to them.