El Bembé 2026

Termite TV Collective and the Norris Square Neighborhood Project (NSNP), in partnership with The

Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival (PHLAFF), invite you to El Bembé on Saturday, October 10,

from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Held at the historic Las Parcelas (2248 N. Palethorp St.) and Villa Africana

Colobó Gardens (2263 Palethorp St.), the event celebrates the launch of the latest Augmented and Virtual

Reality (AR/VR) installations from the ongoing community media project, Places of Power: Las Parcelas.

Co-directed by Anula Shetty and Michael Kuetemeyer (Termite TV) and Iris Brown (NSNP), Places of

Power: Las Parcelas engages an intergenerational group of Norris Square residents to preserve

neighborhood memories, traditions, and stories. Through hands-on workshops, community participants

have co-created immersive digital works using 3D photogrammetry portraits, 360-degree virtual tours, and

filmed oral histories.

This year’s showcase highlights stories centered on Bomba and Plena, two spiritual Afro-Puerto Rican

musical traditions born from the need to honor ancestors, survive hardship, and resist colonialism. Through

AR technology, physical landmarks and objects throughout the gardens are transformed into interactive

portals, bringing resident voices and historic memories directly to visitors. “Bembé” is an African word for

a celebration or gathering of friends, chosen to honor African roots and bring that cultural connection into

the work happening in the workshops and the gardens.

Event Highlights Include:

• Immersive AR/VR Art Installations: Interactive media technology integrated throughout two

vibrant community gardens celebrating stories of Puerto Rico and the African Diaspora.

• Live Musical Performance: A special presentation by El Junte, an Afro-Puerto Rican collective

of community educators and artists honoring ancestral legacies through live drumming, song, and

dance.

• NSNP Archive Activation: Explore photographs from NSNP’s community archive and leave a

recorded memory for future generations.

The Places of Power: Las Parcelas project is funded by the William Penn Foundation, People’s Media

Fund and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.