ADINKRA 2026

Call for workshops and presentations

DEADLINE: 15 June 2026 (11:59 PM Eastern)
Download: ADINKRA Call for submissions (PDF, 934 KB)
Apply: ADINKRA Submission form

We invite artists, caregivers, death doulas, healers, scholars, community workers, etc., to submit their workshop and presentation proposals on end-of-life topics, grief work, spirituality, and care as expressed through creativity and a Black lens.

This is a unique opportunity to share knowledge, projects, and perspectives that honour the complexities of death, dying, caregiving, and bereavement in relation to the experiences and rich traditions of people of African descent. ADINKRA aims to hold space for intergenerational dialogue, networking, and connection for those who engage with this work.

The word ‘Adinkra’ references Akan symbols that were stamped on ceremonial clothing worn by royalty and spiritual leaders at funerals and rites of passage. These graphic icons convey West African proverbs, spirituality, philosophy, and storytelling.

Eligibility

Open to members of the Black community who are:

• Artists: Fine and therapeutic artists whose creative practice focuses on grief, loss, care, mental health, spirituality, and Afrodiasporic traditions
• Caregivers: Those caring for a loved one or who do this work professionally (e.g., as a PSW)
• Death-care workers: Including, but not limited to, death doulas, grief workers, community and public health workers, full-spectrum midwives, and hospice workers
• Healing arts practitioners: Including, but not limited to, those specializing in creative art therapies, acupuncture, herbalism, yoga, breathwork, meditation, energy work, mediumship, divination, dreamwork, massage, and sound healing
• Scholars
• Writers and storytellers

Proposals

Submissions should focus on end-of-life topics, caregiving, spirituality, care practices, and social concerns that are often underrepresented in discussions about death and dying. These topics often intersect with greater systemic issues within the Black experience and we encourage applicants to consider them.

Proposals should be no more than 250 words.

PRESENTATIONS (15 MINUTES)

Presentations should encourage exploration and discussions. We welcome a variety of formats and creative ways of engagement. These may include sharing an arts project, lived experience, professional expertise, scholarly research, even recipes, etc.

Some examples of themes and issues to explore could be:

• The invisible worlds of caregiving youth
• Grassroots initiatives that support caregivers or the bereaved
• The cultural significance of death rituals
• Stolen African artifacts and the museum system
• Traditional practices and creative responses to loss
• Visual, performance, or multimedia art projects on death, dying, and bereavement
• Mediumship / mediums
• Altars, virtual memorials, and collective remembrance
• Community archives in the online / social media space
• Colonialism, class, and ancestral practices in the Caribbean
• Scholarly research on Black women and the witch trials

This list is not exhaustive.

WORKSHOPS (1 HOUR)

We are interested in proposals that use creative outlets like the healing arts, writing, music, visual art, and performance to assist in processing grief, finding solace, and developing self-care practices. Workshops should engage participants with opportunities for personal expression, self-reflection, and communal support.

Examples of topics that creative workshops may focus on include:

• Self-care for caregivers and doulas
• Traditional medicine for grief, anxiety, and well-being
• An art experience related to death rituals in the diaspora
• An experiential opportunity for people to grieve something ungrieved using art

These are just a few examples of what your workshop proposal could explore.

How to submit

Please complete the ADINKRA 2026 submission form by 15 June 2026. Decisions will be made in early August. If you have questions or need an alternate format, please email Karen.

ADINKRA is supported by: