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MAX Ottawa: Bantaba
June 11 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
MAX Ottawa is hosting a Bantaba, facilitated by Rodney Diverlus, for Black queer folks. This for-us-by-us event will foster a safer space for discussions about Blackening spaces and thriving as a Black queer community in Ottawa. We’ll enjoy a family meal, share our stories and experiences, and discuss what we need to keep progressing.
What is Bantaba?
Bantaba is more than a gathering—it’s a return to a deeply rooted tradition of collective care, radical listening, and community-led transformation. Originating from West Africa, Bantaba is a circular space where wisdom is shared, stories are honored, and futures are co-created. It’s a space without hierarchy—where everyone’s presence and voice holds equal weight.
Why Now? Why Ottawa?
Ottawa’s Black queer community is experiencing a cultural renaissance — from ballroom to conferences to dancefloors and beyond. Bantaba doesn’t spark this movement; it meets it mid-stride. It offers a moment to ask: Where are we headed? What do we need now? How do we keep building together?
What to Expect
Led by multi-hyphenate artist and strategist Rodney Diverlus, Bantaba is not a lecture or a panel—it’s a living, breathing conversation. It’s a space to unpack the realities of being Black and queer in Ottawa, and to imagine collective paths forward. Your ideas, your truths, your presence are vital. There is no audience, only participants.
Register Here!
Venue Accessibility
- Change rooms
- Elevator/Lift
- Entrance/Exit
- Floor surfaces
- Interior
- Parking
- Passenger loading zone
- Reception desks
- Signage
- Stairs
- Telephone
- Washrooms
