African Diasporic Arts & Education
A living legacy. A lasting purpose.
Building upon the work of Orisirisi African Folklore, founded in 1986, African Diasporic Arts and Education Inc. (ADAE Foundation) preserves, promotes, and advances knowledge of Africa and the African diaspora through arts, education, research, and cultural programming.
Preserve. Create. Educate.
Our roots. Our continuing work.
Orisirisi African Folklore founded
ADAE Foundation established
current major projects
Preserve. Create. Educate.
A lasting purpose.
Established in 2022, ADAE Foundation carries forward the legacy of Orisirisi founders Don Harrell and Ilenbilu Adetutu Harrell through arts, education, and community engagement.
Ongoing offerings
Arts that teach and connect.
Storytelling, drumming, dance, and song bring cultural knowledge into classrooms and community spaces. Ongoing offerings include Moonlight Stories, Drum Sermons storytelling programs, and African Musical Theatre residencies.
Classrooms and community spaces
Storytelling, drumming, dance, and song.
Performances, school residencies, workshops, lectures, research, publications, and community engagement.
Explore programsDrum Sermons Epilogue
African wisdom. New artistic expression.
A visual and sensory exploration of an African legend, this film-and-stage work draws on storytelling and rhythm to illuminate music as a source of meaning, memory, and human connection.
By connecting ancestral knowledge with contemporary artistic practice, the project creates opportunities for audiences and learners to encounter the enduring significance of African diasporic traditions.
Creative development, artist compensation, film and stage production, and educational resources.
Your support makes it possible
Help bring cultural knowledge to the stage, screen, and classroom.
An invitation to give.
Carry the work forward.
Sustain arts and education. Help bring our current major projects to life.