Upcoming events.
I’m Sorry For Your Loss (the condolence visit)
I’m sorry for your losS (The Condolence Visit)
a multisensory exhibit & IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION
october 2026, oakland ca
You’re invited to the Ụlọ Ọnwụ of an Igbo Matriarch. Through installation, film, photo and live theater you will be immersed in the culture, practices and phenoms of present-day Igbo diaspora communities surrounding death and communal grief.
The Condolence Visit features work from years of documentation, archiving, and artistic production by Nkeiruka Oruche and her collaborators including art and documentary photographer Amarachi Nnoli, photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Benson Ibeabuchi, Gbedu Town Radio performance company, writer & director Michael French, and community participants.
This installation is a part of part of Oruche’s Obi gbawara’m//My Heart Shattered or What happens after I die? (OGB) researching and documenting traditions of death and grief in Igbo culture, and the African diaspora.
GET UPDATES ABOUT THE CONDOLENCE VISIT
Egwu Onwu, Songs to tide us over- Installation & Community Gathering
There's VILLAGE AT HOME
How do we hold each other when we experience the death of our beloved? What do we do? What do we say? How do we do it?
Egwu Onwu, For Those Who Remain is a multi-sensory experience and ceremonial installation inviting the community to a shared experience of commemoration, grief, and mutual support through installation, film, photo, performance, cultural immersion & ceremony.
Dress: your traditional ancestral fits OR tans, greens
Bring: A nutritious dish AND cash in envelope to contribute to the gathering
Notify us of your access needs in the registration form or email info @ afrorubansociety . com
Ubochi Afọ Nọv 2, 2026
sundown
in xučyun (oakland)
All-ages | free (donations accepted)
Egwu Onwu, Songs to tide us over is a multi-sensory experience and ceremonial installation inviting the community to a shared experience of commemoration, grief, and mutual support through installation, film, photo, performance, cultural immersion & ceremony.
Dress: your traditional ancestral fits OR tans, greens
Bring: A nutritious dish AND cash in envelope to contribute to the gathering
This installation is a part of Oruche’s Obi gbawara’m//My Heart Shattered or What happens after I die? (OGB) researching and documenting traditions of death and grief in Igbo culture, and the African diaspora.
Creative Director & Lead Artist: Nkeiruka Oruche. Performance collaborators: Micheal French, Kanukai Chigamba, Uzo Nwankpa, Natachi, Roshonda Parker. Cultural Guides: Ifeanyi Akabueze, Gloria Ugwuanyi. Visual Art Collaborators: Amarachi Nnoli, Benson Ibeabuchi, Bruna BSA, Ashley Ross, Uchenna Eugene, Skye BdeM, Ariel Ward. Production: Rosemary Joseph, Ariel Ward
ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY INFO
LOCATION: Activities are primarily held outdoors, with 1 indoor exhibit. Outdoor, grassy and concrete area on uneven grade. One step at the entrance.
Public Transit/Parking Information
- Limited street parking
- Bus lines: 1, 1 Express, 62
- Fruitvale BART station (3 blocks away)
LANGUAGE: Written Signs, symbols, and oral communication are primarily in English and Igbo
SCENT-FREE/LOW-SCENT SPACE: We ask attendees to be mindful of others and avoid use of scents and scented products: perfumes, lotions, essential oils, sprays, etc
SMOKE-FREE SPACE: Do not smoke 100 feet within event activities
Email info@afrourbansociety.com to request accessibility accommodations that are not addressed here
NOT ABLE TO ATTEND BUT WANT TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT?
can’t ATTEND BUT WANT updates about this project?
*photo credit: Ashley Ross
Onwu Di Njo: grief circle & creative writing ONLINE
Onwu Di Njo
Grief Circle & Creative Writing Workshop for people of African descent (who have lost a parent, child, or sibling). with Nkeiruka Oruche & Michael French
Co-facilitated by Nkeiruka and collaborator Micheal French this interactive workshop will explore our personal connections with death and using creativity as a tool to support our grief and commemoration. The session will feature an introduction/context about this project, participants sharing their personal experiences, and guided creative writing activity inspired by the project.
Onwu Di Njo
Grief Circle & Creative Writing Workshop for people of African descent (who have lost a parent, child, or sibling). with Nkeiruka Oruche & Michael French
Co-facilitated by Nkeiruka and collaborator Micheal French this interactive workshop will explore our personal connections with death and using creativity as a tool to support our grief and commemoration. The session will feature an introduction/context about this project, participants sharing their personal experiences, and guided creative writing activity inspired by the project.
This workshop is part Nkeiruka Oruche’s ‘Obi gbawara’m//My Heart Shattered or What happens after I die?’ (OGB), researching and documenting traditions of death and grief in Igbo culture, and the African diaspora.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
10:00 AM-1:00 PM PST | 6PM-9PM WAT, BST | 1PM-4PM ET
Online (via Zoom)
Limited spots. Please RSVP to receive attendance info
A Mixtape for Mourning: Song & Creative Circle for people of African descent
A Mixtape for Mourning
Song Circle & Creative Exploration for people of African descent w. Nkeiruka Oruche
Drawing from her Igbo ancestry and culture, this workshop invites participants to connect to their ancestral cultures and explore/create song or spoken word as tools for grief and commemoration of loved ones who have died. The session will feature an introduction/context, song sharing, personal connection, and creation time inspired by the project.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
OVRHL
Limited spots. Please RSVP to receive attendance info
About Nkeiruka Oruche
Nkeiruka Oruche is an Igbo multimedia creative, and cultural producer. She created and directed ‘Mixtape of the Dead & Gone #1’ dance-theater comedy about death and igbo cosmology. She is founder and director of Afro Urban Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to boosting art, media, and the tough-but-necessary conversations of the African diaspora. She co-founded and stewarded BoomShake Music, a social justice and music liberation organization. In 2023, she was on SF Playhouse ‘Nollywood Dreams’ creative team. Oruche was a Dance/USA Artist Fellow, Kikwetu Honors Awardee, a NYFA Immigrant Artist Fellow, and YBCA 100 Honoree, and has received awards from Creative Work Fund, MAP Fund, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and California Arts Council. Her work has been featured in BBC Africa, Goethe-Institut, Fjord Review, Coal City University-Enugu, and Oakland Museum of California. She is focused on deepening and sustaining grassroots change-making, and community wealth through her work, play, and family life.
Onwu Di Njo is part of Nkeiruka Oruche’s ‘Obi gbawara’m//My Heart Shattered or What happens after I die?’ (OGB) researching and documenting traditions of death and grief in Igbo culture, and the African diaspora. Onwu Di Njo was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.