The Oak Cliff Cultural Center has plenty of events, workshops and exhibits throughout March. Here are the highlights:
On view in the studio: Almost Free: The Freedman Town Legacy – through March 21
This interactive Community Mural Exhibition, in partnership with the City of Dallas Arts and Culture, provides a profound opportunity to reimagine the narrative of division that has historically shaped or society. By coming together, people of diverse colors, backgrounds, and socio-economic experiences unite to engage in a collective process of honoring, learning, and reinterpreting Dallas’ history-particularly Black history. While the legacy of the past remains deeply ingrained, to disregard it would be to overlook the enduring truths of the struggles against slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic injustice.
This initiative is not an exercise in blame or victimization but a celebration of unity, healing, and the sharded commitment to intellectual and cultural enlightenment. Through this process, we open ourselves to the possibility of growth and transformation, both as individuals and as a community.
The title “Almost Free reflects both the struggles and triumphs of a community that pushed or freedom, identity, and self-determination. It speaks to the ongoing journey of growth and renewal that continues today. This body of work emphasizes the importance of recognizing Freedman Town influence throughout the year, not just within certain observances or timeframes. It’s about understanding the depth of this legacy and keeping these narratives alive, ensuring the remain accessible and relevant.
Spring Break Art Camp
Spring Break Art Camp! Improv camp with Lauren Oxford is a week-long course in which kids ages 9-12 will learn to “follow the funny” and collaborate creatively in a judgment-free environment. Through play, campers can develop improv comedy skills like confidence, stagecraft, and active listening.
Lauren is a Dallas native whose improv journey began in the year 2001 as a high school senior. She currently performs with the mainstage casts at Four Day Weekend and Dallas Comedy Club, and troupes including Queso Queens, Surrender Dorothy, and Peanut Pony. Lauren is a graduate of improv programs as Dallas Comedy House and Stomping Ground Comedy and has a degree in Theatre from the University of Puget Sound. She has educated art, theatre, and writing students of all ages and abilities through her work with the Dallas Comedy Club, the Dallas Contemporary, VSA New Mexico, and Dallas Comedy House (RIP).
Camp dates: March 10-14, 2025, 9 AM-12 PM (drop off is at 8:45 AM and pick up is at 12:30 PM)
Sign up here.
Ondas Cultural & Movement Arts presents: Carnaval in Bahia
Free and open to the public. Spots in the workshop are first come first served. Registration is not required.
Brazil is home to some of the most famous celebrations of Carnaval! Come and learn a bit of history of Carnaval in Bahia – the heart of African Diasporic culture in Brazil! In this workshop, we will try some basic steps of Samba Reggae, an inclusive street dance, of Maculelê, a rhythmic folkloric dance, and of course, Capoeira Regional, the iconic cultural movement known across the world!
Professora Borboleta has been immersed in capoeira for over 20 years and is the sole representative of the Brazilian-based school, Filhos de Bimba located in Texas. She started teaching in Fort Worth through her own studio and in programming throughout DFW when she came to Texas in 2014. The studio has grown, and is now called Ondas Cultural & Movement Arts, and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity whose mission is to provide the community, and particularly the local underserved youth, with opportunities to interact with cultural and movement arts where diverse and inclusive histories are represented and uplifted through authentic and educational cultural exchanges.
In addition to her work with the cultural arts, she is an adjunct professor at TCU, where she offers courses in Afro-Brazilian expressions, World Cultural Dances of the World, and Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies.
Swan Strings
Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
Swan Strings Music Program is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to provide free music education, community concerts and sound therapy services to North Texan individuals without access.
For more info: click here.
Questions? Contact Swan Strings at programs@swanstrings.com
