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In the wake of in excess of fifty issues exploring the global Black diaspora, this represents a last column. The tenure was profoundly gratifying, with great gratitude directed to all the engaged audience.

Inside the Accra Festival

Attending the showcases, presentations and shows of this event, one sees how exceptional art nourishes and builds a country’s heritage and character. The centrepiece was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which showcased his pioneering afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that reimagines plastic containers into mesmerizing works of art, assemblages of yellow, brass and gold. The exhibition was created as a tribute to the resilience of Jamestown, a venerable quarter of Accra.

The community – mainly home to the Ga community, a seafaring people – is additionally where many freed slaves returned from Brazil and made their home in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom community, they introduced Brazilian tongue and traditions.

In every part of Jamestown, visitors encounter a mix of architectural styles. You'll find a historic building, boasting its characteristic European-style masonry and curved entrances. Another landmark is the famous beacon, constructed in the 1871 and eventually given its recognizable red-and-white-striped facade.

Traditions of Mourning

Also remarkable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, be it affixed to buildings or on larger hoardings, there are funeral details and terms of farewell. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, final rites are large-scale community celebrations.

In this spectacular show, the entirety of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – especially in the engaging Jamestown nshonaa installation. Here, you’re soothed by the audio of ocean surf with granules at your feet, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and images of boats pay homage to its vibrant, long-standing maritime community. But standing in this venue, it's hard to ignore the mountains of cast-off garments that compromise the aesthetics and peace of the area.

In Addition to the Headline Act

Accra Cultural Week also features much more. Inside an incomplete building at the University of Ghana, creator Reginald Sylvester II presented On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, austere presentation that featured three-dimensional works and paintings created in concert with welders.

Another key element is the prestigious art award for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It featured the debut presentation of a 2024 winner, whose work draws on familial archival records to create a artistic representation of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also announced a new champion, whose diverse work is deeply concerned with the weaving practices of women in Dabala.

A Permanent Presence

While the overseas community has grown been pulled back to the region in the western winter, more and more are considering visiting earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the region’s festival period. From Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what is evident are cultural ecosystems that are not merely emerging or “upcoming” but have established an complete universe that is here to stay.

Ultimately, the journey leaves one with a vision of Accra that resembles a declaration for conservation and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a compelling tribute to perseverance in all its expressions.