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In the wake of in excess of 50 editions navigating the global Black diaspora, this signifies a final piece. The experience has been profoundly rewarding, and great gratitude directed to all the attentive followers.

A Look Inside Accra Cultural Week

Attending the showcases, installations and acts of the festival, it becomes clear how exceptional art nourishes and builds a country’s heritage and identity. The focal point was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his groundbreaking afrogallonism in full view: a approach that reimagines water vessels into illusory works of art, assemblages of golden hues. The display was conceived as a homage to the endurance of this area, a historical quarter of Accra.

This area – mainly inhabited by the Ga community, a community of fishermen – is furthermore where numerous freed slaves returned from Brazil and settled in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom, they brought Brazilian language and customs.

All across Jamestown, you can see a mix of building designs. There’s Franklin House, with its distinct Portuguese construction and curved entrances. Also present is the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, constructed in the 1871 and subsequently sporting its recognizable red-and-white-striped facade.

Customs of Celebration

Equally striking about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of memorial notices. Wherever you look, whether plastered over alleyways or on sizable billboards, one finds funeral details and phrases of loss. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, final rites are large-scale communal events.

In this impressive show, the entirety of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are evoked – especially in the immersive Jamestown nshonaa installation. Here, one is relaxed by the sound of the sea with sand underfoot, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and depictions of canoes pay homage to its spirited, multigenerational fishing community. But standing in this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the heaps of cast-off garments that mar the aesthetics and peace of the area.

Beyond the Headline Act

Accra Cultural Week also features much more. Inside an raw space at the University of Ghana, creator Sylvester showcased On the Other Side of Languish, an incredibly moving, minimalist presentation that featured three-dimensional works and artworks made in collaboration with metalworkers.

Also featured was the competition for female artists for Ghanaian women creators. It featured the debut presentation of a recent recipient, whose work utilizes personal family archives to produce a visual impression of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a current winner, whose varied work is particularly invested in the weaving practices of women in Dabala.

An Enduring Presence

While the overseas community has increasingly been pulled back to Ghana during the winter months, more and more are thinking about travelling earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the area's cultural season. Between Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what you’ll find are art scenes that are not merely emerging or “upcoming” but have established an whole landscape that is enduring.

Ultimately, the experience provides a perception of Accra that resembles a manifesto for environmental protection and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a compelling homage to perseverance in all its manifestations.