W.A.W.A.D. Wire Car Workshop

SUNDAY MARCH 22nd: A WIRE CAR WORKSHOP

Presented by Chido Johnson
Sunday, March 22nd, 2015
3pm at 11627 Klinger Street, Hamtramck, MI
This event is free and open to the public.
Note: work clothes recommended. Pliers will be supplied but additional are welcome.

“Growing up in the 70s and 80s in Zambian townships and rural Zimbabwe, we used to make our own toys. I learned how to make a wire-car from the older kids in the neighborhood. Living in Detroit, it is hard not to imagine that the cultural phenomenon of wire-cars could have been triggered by the USA car culture and Detroit. It is only fitting to bring this cultural practice back to Detroit.

This current project is called WAWAD (Wire-car Auto Workers Association of Detroit). The making of wire-cars pushed with sticks is a cultural practice popular in the southern and central regions of Africa. WAWAD originated from the making of the first documented wire-car cruise, which was performed on the historical Woodward Avenue, where the earliest assembly of cars rolled their wheels on. The video documentary of this historical performance, titled A Dance for Diego, was a community based project with collaborators from different parts of Detroit, neighbors as close as Hamtramck and as far as Zimbabwe. We are bringing WAWAD back with workshops and info sessions held in several locations in and around Detroit. Bring your dreams and be ready to make!” – Chido Johnson
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