german Soul

German Soul is a “live documentary” experience in which ethnobotanist and musician Justin Robinson (Grammy Award-winning member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) pursues the German influences hidden within the Southern dishes he was raised to love, reframing American history and identity through the food we thought we knew.

The project traces Robinson’s family’s complex genealogy from the Carolina Piedmont to the markets of Ibadan, Nigeria, to the German countryside and back again. Through storytelling, music, food, performance, and community dialogue.

German Soul explores the intersections of ancestry, culture, health, place, and belonging.

As a creative hub connecting UNCG’s research campus with the Greensboro community, the Tannenbaum Center serves as an ideal laboratory for the project’s development.

Through work-in-progress showings, audience feedback, interdisciplinary research, and public engagement, community members, students, faculty, and artists become active participants in shaping the evolving work.

Project Highlights

Live documentary experience blending music, storytelling, food, & performance
Work-in-progress showings that invite audience feedback during the creative process
Virtual production filming utilizing the Tannenbaum Center’s LED Volume technology
Collaborations with UNCG Faculty and Students across Food Studies, Media Studies, and Genetic Counseling
Participatory research model that incorporates public input into the project’s development
Public performances and community events, including appearances connected to Tannenbaum Center programming

partners + collaborators

Justin Robinson

D.L. Anderson

Demeanor

Bending Tree Creative Collective

UNCG Food Studies

UNCG Department of Media Studies

UNCG Genetic Counseling Program

Cone Health GeneConnect

community impact

By combining creative practice, academic research, and public participation, German Soul creates opportunities for audiences to engage with questions of history, identity, health, and belonging while contributing directly to the evolution of a new interdisciplinary work.

UPCOMING EVENTS

GERMAN SOUL CALENDAR

German Soul Live Documentary: Work in progress (UNCG Internal, Invitation only)

Join us on October 29 from 6–8 PM for GERMAN SOUL, a dynamic live documentary experience blending film, music, food, and storytelling. A dynamic live documentary experience blending film, music, food, and storytelling. Created by Grammy Award-winning musician and ethnobotanist Justin Robinson and filmmaker D.L. Anderson, the event explores Black... Continue reading...

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Oct 29, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

German Soul Live Documentary: Work In Progress (Open to the public)

Join us on November 13 from 6–8 PM for GERMAN SOUL, a dynamic live documentary experience blending film, music, food, and storytelling. Created by Grammy Award-winning musician and ethnobotanist Justin Robinson and filmmaker D.L. Anderson, the event explores Black Southern family history, culinary traditions, and identity through a rich tapestry... Continue reading...

Free

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Nov 13, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

OPERATING HOURS

Tuesday–Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Monday and Saturday: Open for events only. View the calendar for details.
Closed Sundays and Holidays

Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice

Location: 842 West Gate City Blvd., GSO, NC 27403
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 26170, GSO, NC 27402
Email: tannenbaum@uncg.edu