BOOK AND INSTRUMENT DRIVE & PLANT EXCHANGE

UCC’s roots go back to 1997 when Mestre Jurandir moved to Seattle and started the Seattle chapter of the International Capoeira Angola Foundation (ICAF), an educational organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira Angola. Leika started training in 2002 and recalls the precious sense of community when she and her then 1-year-old daughter were embraced into the group. In 2003, ICAF gained non-profit status and expanded our programs to include community events and school partnerships. Mestre Silvinho moved to Seattle in 2004 at Mestre Jurandir’s invitation to take leadership of the group so he could return to Brazil. Long story short, Leika and Silvinho developed a strong friendship that led to their marriage in 2007 when they officially inherited the management of the non-profit. Our dream as partners was to serve the community through cultural arts and bring together Mestre Silvinho’s skill as a Capoeira teacher and Leika’s passion for health through food and holistic nourishment.

In 2010, four years after being displaced from our previous studio in Capitol Hill, we established the Union Cultural Center (UCC) as our home for the Capoeira group and our longtime partners Dora Oliveira (Samba & Afro-Brazilian Dance) and Manimou Camara (West African Dance & Drum). We wanted to expand our offerings beyond Capoeira to include more cultural arts and invite a multigenerational and multicultural community into our space. In the first year there, we hosted our youth program Youth In Action and created the mural you see above our mirrors. Within a year, the landlord informed us they were going to develop the building and we had 6 months to move. It took the full 6 months and many site visits until we found the spot on 8th & King where we’ve been housed since 2011. We love being in the Chinatown International District and welcome you to experience the vibrance of UCC and the warmth of this historic neighborhood!