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In the wake of over fifty issues exploring the worldwide Black diaspora, this marks a last piece. The journey has been deeply rewarding, with sincere appreciation offered to every one of the engaged audience.

Inside Accra Cultural Week

Experiencing the showcases, presentations and acts of the festival, one sees how the finest art feeds and constructs a nation's past and character. The centrepiece was without doubt the artist's remarkable [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that transforms plastic containers into mesmerizing works of art, assemblages of golden hues. The exhibition was created as a tribute to the endurance of the historic district, a venerable neighbourhood of Accra.

The community – predominantly home to the Ga people, a fishing community – is also where numerous formerly enslaved people arrived from South America and settled in the 1830s. Known as the Tabom, they carried with them Portuguese tongue and traditions.

In every part of Jamestown, you can see a blend of building designs. There’s Fort Vicentia, with its unique Portuguese masonry and curved entrances. Another landmark is the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, erected in the 1800s and subsequently featuring its recognizable red-and-white-striped exterior.

Traditions of Remembrance

Furthermore remarkable about Jamestown is the pervasive presence of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, whether covering walls or on larger billboards, you’ll see announcements and expressions of mourning. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are significant communal events.

In this breathtaking show, the entirety of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are captured – especially in the immersive Jamestown nshonaa piece. Here, visitors are calmed by the sound of the sea with granules underfoot, while shacks, nets and representations of vessels pay homage to its vibrant, long-standing maritime community. But standing in this gallery, one cannot help but think of the piles of discarded clothing that compromise the charm and tranquillity of the shoreline.

Apart from the Centrepiece

The festival program included much more. Inside an raw space at the University of Ghana, creator Sylvester exhibited On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, austere presentation that displayed sculptures and artworks created in concert with welders.

Another key element is the competition for female artists for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It included the first solo show of a prior winner, whose work draws on historical documents to produce a artistic representation of life in the nation's recent history. The event also announced a current winner, whose diverse work is particularly concerned with the weaving practices of women in the Volta region.

A Lasting Legacy

While the global African community has increasingly been drawn back to west Africa during the winter months, an increasing number are considering travelling some months earlier to engage with the region’s cultural season. From Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what you’ll find are art scenes that are not merely new or “rising” but have built up an whole universe that is here to stay.

Ultimately, the visit leaves one with a image of Accra that resembles a declaration for environmental protection and the preservation of tradition. It is a powerful homage to resilience in all its expressions.