The Afrikan Poetry Theatre has a temporary new home after the second floor of its cultural center in Jamaica was consumed in an electrical fire in 2018.

The cultural center’s APT Annex, its brand-new media hub, located at 178-12 Jamaica Ave., opened last Thursday and is also just a short trip from its old site at 176-03, which its founder, Saiku Branch, intends to have rebuilt with an addition for artists’ housing units in the next three to four years.

Once built, the cultural center will be at its old site while the media hub will continue to be open for rental for various programming.

Programming at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre Annex includes actors’ workshops; filmmakers’ workshops; candle making classes; hung gar martial arts training; Open Aux, a beat competition series; a Super Starz Only Talent Showcase Series; Don Diva Magazine’s “Industry Thursdays” Networking Mixer & Live Podcast; Urban Poets Movement, an open mic series; Urban Flowerz Movement, a livestream of rap cyphers; and more, which is currently in development, said Branch via email.

To learn more about the Afrikan Poetry Theatre, its media hub or to register for a program, visit theafrikanpoetrytheatre.org.

“We’ve been bouncing around from place to place since the fire, so it’s nice to have something that is ours,” Branch told the Chronicle. “It is definitely a relief.”

Branch, who said that free film classes were hosted over the weekend, said that he has been getting a great response from the community about the annex.

“There has been a void,” he said. “There are things for the youth to do, extracurricular activities, people have been stopping by — we are just glad to be back in the community hands-on.”

Branch said that since the fire, the cultural center has continued its virtual programming, which grew as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were already virtual because of the fire … with new technology and media a lot of these programs are going to be streamed,” he said.

People may attend the hybrid programs via Zoom or watch them later on social media.

“There are people who are watching from different countries and states,” Branch said.

The founder said people from states such as Florida and North Carolina, as well as countries like Japan, Uganda, Tanzania and the Netherlands have attended the programs via Zoom.

“We were already intending to expand,” before the fire, said Branch about the hybrid programs. “That’s why we didn’t stop after Covid.”

Asked about how many artist units will be at the old site once it’s rebuilt, Branch said despite the APT’s getting a grant to erect a new building, the pandemic put a halt on that.

Branch said he joined the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan Committee.

The Jamaica plan is an initiative to allow for nearly 12,000 new housing units in the downtown area and nearby neighborhoods.

While some have pushed back against the plan, Branch said it inspired him to fight for artist housing as he works to get more grants to rebuild the cultural center with the living units in mind.

“We have new plans, there is new zoning and there are different things going on in Jamaica,” he said. “I want to plan it right.”

Once more funding is secured, Branch hopes to work with contractors on the design phase. In the meantime, he is looking forward to celebrating the cultural center’s 50th anniversary during Kwanzaa.

“This year we are going to do [programming] for seven days and the last day will be a big celebration,” said Branch.