10/06/2026
Join us on Saturday October 10th for a double celebration! El Bembé and the North Philadelphia History Festival!
Termite TV Collective and Norris Square Neighborhood Project (NSNP) in partnership with Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival
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.
The gardens will be open starting at 11AM for visitors to come and explore the AR/VR works for Scribe Video Center's North Philadelphia History Festival programming "El Jardín de la Música y El Espíritu," then a reception with food and music performance will kick-off at 3PM.
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.