With support from the California Arts Council, AfroSolo Theatre Company will maintain its core programs, including the AfroSolo Arts Festival, Black Women: Resilient, and STOP! SHOW & CONTROL! The Art of Surviving Police Stops! CAC funding will support artist fees, production costs, and accessibility services, enabling AfroSolo to continue offering free and low-cost, high-impact programming in San Francisco’s Black communities. These programs uplift Black voices through solo performance, visual arts, and music while providing opportunities for healing, storytelling, and cultural affirmation.
This investment will help AfroSolo remain a vital cultural anchor in the Bay Area—supporting emerging and established Black artists, fostering cross-generational engagement, and ensuring that Black stories and experiences are seen, heard, and honored.
AfroSolo Theatre Company’s core programming is anchored by the annual AfroSolo Arts Festival, a year-long, multidisciplinary celebration of Black arts and culture. Each year’s programming is united by a central theme and structured around three primary components:
AfroSolo in the Gardens – A free, outdoor jazz concert held at Yerba Buena Gardens featuring acclaimed Black vocalists and instrumentalists. This accessible event invites intergenerational and multicultural audiences to experience the richness of Black musical traditions in a communal setting.
AfroSolo in the Gallery – A curated visual arts exhibition showcasing up to five Black artists at the African American Center of San Francisco’s Main Public Library. This public-facing exhibit creates opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists to present socially engaged work in a civic space.
Black Voices Performance Series – The centerpiece of the festival, this series features solo theatre, spoken word, and dance performances by African American and Diasporic artists. Presented at culturally significant venues such as the African American Art and Culture Complex, these performances elevate personal narratives that speak to collective histories, resilience, and transformation.
AfroSolo also runs year-round community engagement initiatives. These include:
1) STOP! SHOW! & CONTROL!: The Art Of Surviving Police Stops, a series of theater and community based workshops designed to decrease the number of law enforcement deaths in underserved communities;
2) Resilient Black Women, a writing workshop for Black Women in the Bayview Hunters Point of San Francisco; and
3) A Senior’s writing workshop at Dr. George Davis Senior Center in SF’s Bayview Hunters Point.
Through accessible programming, strategic partnerships, and culturally responsive practice, AfroSolo provides visibility and support for Black artists while fostering healing, dialogue, and joy in the communities it serves.

