🔗 Share this article

In the wake of in excess of fifty installments delving into the global Black diaspora, this signifies a concluding column. The tenure has been deeply rewarding, and great thanks offered to every one of the engaged audience.

Exploring the Accra Festival

Attending the exhibitions, presentations and performances of the festival, one sees how exceptional art feeds and shapes a country’s past and essence. The highlight was undoubtedly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning a profound exploration of ritual and time, which showcased his innovative afrogallonism on full display: a concept that reimagines water vessels into captivating art pieces, mosaics of golden hues. The show was created as a testament to the strength of the historic district, a venerable quarter of Accra.

Jamestown – largely populated by the Ga people, a fishing community – is furthermore where many returning Africans returned from Brazil and made their home in the 19th century. Known as the Tabom people, they carried with them Portuguese tongue and traditions.

All across Jamestown, visitors encounter a fusion of building designs. You'll find Fort Vicentia, boasting its distinct European-style brickwork and arched doorways. One can also see the prominent Jamestown Lighthouse, constructed in the 1871 and eventually featuring its recognizable banded exterior.

Traditions of Celebration

Furthermore striking about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of memorial notices. Wherever you look, whether covering walls or on big hoardings, one finds service information and expressions of farewell. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, final rites are large-scale communal events.

In this impressive show, all of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are present – especially in the engaging beach-themed installation. Within it, one is relaxed by the recording of crashing waves with granules underfoot, while shelters, draped nets and representations of canoes honour its vibrant, generational maritime community. However being present in this exhibition space, the mind turns to the heaps of textile waste that mar the aesthetics and serenity of the area.

In Addition to the Centrepiece

The festival program included additional highlights. Inside an raw space at the local university, artist Sylvester exhibited On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, minimalist presentation that included three-dimensional works and paintings made in collaboration with metalworkers.

And then there is the prestigious art award for female Ghanaian artists. It featured the first solo show of a prior winner, whose work references historical documents to produce a visual impression of life in the nation's recent history. The event also honored a current winner, whose multidisciplinary work is intensely concerned with the craft techniques of women in the Volta region.

A Lasting Impact

While the overseas community has increasingly been drawn back to Ghana in the western winter, more and more are considering travelling for the cultural season to experience the region’s artistic calendar. Between Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what you’ll find are creative communities that are not merely new or “upcoming” but have built up an complete world that is enduring.

Ultimately, the journey provides a image of Accra that resembles a statement for environmental protection and the safeguarding of culture. It is a compelling testament to adaptability in all its forms.