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After more than fifty installments exploring the global Black diaspora, this signifies a final piece. The tenure was profoundly gratifying, and great gratitude offered to every one of the attentive readers.

Exploring Accra Cultural Week

Attending the showcases, installations and shows of the festival, it becomes clear how exceptional art nourishes and shapes a country’s past and identity. The highlight was undoubtedly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which displayed his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that reimagines plastic containers into captivating works of art, mosaics of metallic tones. The show was created as a testament to the endurance of the historic district, a venerable neighbourhood of Accra.

This area – predominantly populated by the Ga people, a fishing community – is furthermore where numerous returning Africans returned from South America and settled in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom community, they brought Portuguese language and customs.

Throughout Jamestown, one observes a mix of architectural styles. Standing is a historic building, featuring its distinct Portuguese masonry and door arches. One can also see the famous lighthouse of Jamestown, constructed in the 19th century and subsequently given its recognizable striped facade.

Customs of Celebration

Equally notable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of memorial notices. Everywhere you turn, whether plastered over walls or on big hoardings, you’ll see service information and phrases of loss. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, funerals are large-scale social gatherings.

In this impressive show, the entirety of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are captured – particularly in the enveloping Jamestown nshonaa piece. In this space, you’re soothed by the recording of ocean surf with granules on the floor, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and representations of vessels celebrate its vibrant, long-standing seafaring tradition. Yet standing in this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the mountains of cast-off garments that threaten the aesthetics and tranquillity of the area.

Apart from the Main Event

Accra Cultural Week also features additional highlights. Within an incomplete building at the local university, artist Reginald Sylvester II presented On the Other Side of Languish, an incredibly moving, stripped-back presentation that featured three-dimensional works and artworks produced in collaboration with welders.

Another key element is the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It included the first solo show of a recent winner, whose work references personal family archives to craft a depiction of life in Ghana after independence. The event also honored a new champion, whose varied work is deeply invested in the weaving practices of women in Dabala.

An Enduring Presence

While the overseas community has increasingly been drawn home to Ghana in the winter months, an increasing number are considering journeying for the cultural season to engage with the area's cultural season. From Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what you’ll find are creative communities that are not simply emerging or “rising” but have established an whole landscape that is enduring.

Finally, the experience provides a perception of Accra that resembles a statement for ecological stewardship and the preservation of heritage. It is a compelling homage to adaptability in all its manifestations.