Dasan Ahanu is an award-winning poet, cultural organizer, performing artist, and scholar and now, NC State LIVE‘s 2024-25 Artist in Residence. His residency will feature multidisciplinary panels exploring themes like humanity and technology, Afrofuturism, and intergenerational dialogue alongside a poetry workshop and the world premiere of his newly commissioned play, Saints & Aints. Explore the full event schedule below and join us!

World Premiere:
Saints & Aints

Part Sunday service reinterpretation, part juke joint reimagining and part underground dance club escapism, don’t miss the premiere of Saint’s & Aints, Dasan Ahanu’s new play in Hunt Library on March 28 and 29.

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2024-25 RESIDENCY EVENTS

Panelist for Huang Yi’s HUANG YI & KUKA
Nov. 15
Stewart Theatre

Following the performance of HUANG YI & KUKA , Dasan gathered with a committed panel discussing humanity and technology, moderated by Rachel Levy (Executive Director of the Data Science and AI Academy), featuring Valeria López Torres (College of Design faculty), and Huang Yi (choreographer).

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Data Science and AI Academy Fall 2024 events

Dasan has been a speaker for the AI @ NC State Hot Topic monthly series, an opportunity for people curious about artificial intelligence to network with experts, scholars and practitioners. He also co-facilitated a session at the Academic Data Science Alliance annual conference held at the University of Michigan together with Dr. Rachel Levy, Executive Director, NC State Data Science and AI Academy.

Intergenerational Keynote Panel
Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.
Talley Student Union

Dasan joined the Intergenerational Keynote Panel during the 2025 MLK Campus Commemoration. The event brought together campus partners to examine the week’s theme “Bridging Generations: Lighting the Way and Illuminating the Future.” 

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University Honors Forum

During this lecture-demonstration, Dasan will delve into his creative process and discuss the making of commissioned work, Saints & Aints. Participants will learn more about the poet’s multi-directional creative practices and have the opportunity to ask him questions.

Special thanks to the University Honors Program for sponsoring this event.

This event is FREE and open to all. Witherspoon Cinema is located at 2810 Cates Ave.

Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship
Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
James B. Hunt Jr. Library
Free

Attendees can navigate the symposium, featuring diasporic scholarship through cutting-edge research, storytelling, discussion circles, and community projects from NC State and the local community.

Dasan will serve as the keynote speaker, offering multiple breakout sessions and a keynote luncheon.

This event is open to the public as well as the NC State community.

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Poetry Writing Workshop
Mar. 17 at 6 p.m.
James B. Hunt Jr. Library
Free

During this poetry workshop with Dasan, participants will ask, “what possibilities can we manifest through our imagination?”

Join in to examine how to put your thoughts and ideas down on paper and how to make them come alive for audiences. Participants will engage in writing prompts and collaborative design activities that will bring out the power inside them.

This workshop is Free and open to the public.

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In the News

The INDY WEEK spotlights eight Triangle artists and arts organizations awarded grants from the regional nonprofit South Arts, interviewing interim director Liza Wade Green about Dasan Ahanu’s work.

It Takes a Village

NC State LIVE is supported in part by grants from the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission, South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.