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After in excess of fifty installments delving into the global Black diaspora, this marks a final column. The journey has been incredibly gratifying, with sincere appreciation directed to every one of the attentive audience.

A Look Inside the Accra Festival

Visiting the exhibitions, artworks and performances of this event, it becomes clear how superior art feeds and constructs a nation's history and identity. The centrepiece was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his innovative afrogallonism in full view: a philosophy that reimagines water vessels into illusory art pieces, mosaics of yellow, brass and gold. The show was created as a homage to the strength of this area, a venerable quarter of Accra.

This area – largely populated by the Ga people, a fishing community – is additionally where a great number of formerly enslaved people came back from South America and settled in the 1830s. Called the Tabom, they introduced Brazilian tongue and traditions.

In every part of Jamestown, you can see a blend of architectural styles. You'll find Franklin House, featuring its unique European-style masonry and arched doorways. One can also see the prominent lighthouse of Jamestown, constructed in the 19th century and eventually sporting its recognizable red-and-white-striped appearance.

Traditions of Remembrance

Also striking about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, whether covering buildings or on larger signboards, there are funeral details and expressions of mourning. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are large-scale communal events.

In this spectacular show, all of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are present – notably in the engaging beach-themed piece. In this space, one is relaxed by the recording of ocean surf with granules on the floor, while beach huts, draped nets and depictions of canoes honour its vibrant, generational fishing community. However standing in this gallery, it's hard to ignore the heaps of textile waste that mar the aesthetics and tranquillity of the region.

Beyond the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features additional highlights. Housed in an raw space at the University of Ghana, artist Reginald Sylvester II showcased a deeply moving minimalist collection, an incredibly moving, stripped-back show that included three-dimensional works and canvases produced in partnership with welders.

Also featured was the prestigious art award for Ghanaian women creators. It featured the first solo show of a 2024 winner, whose work utilizes personal family archives to create a artistic representation of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also honored a current winner, whose diverse work is deeply concerned with the weaving practices of women in a specific region.

A Lasting Impact

While the diaspora has increasingly been pulled home to west Africa during the winter months, an increasing number are contemplating visiting some months earlier to experience the region’s cultural season. Between Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what you’ll find are cultural ecosystems that are not simply nascent or “upcoming” but have established an entire landscape that is enduring.

Ultimately, the experience provides a vision of Accra that resembles a declaration for environmental protection and the safeguarding of tradition. It is a resonant testament to adaptability in all its manifestations.