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Following more than 50 issues exploring the worldwide Black diaspora, this represents a final column. The tenure proved profoundly rewarding, with sincere gratitude offered to every one of the attentive readers.

A Look Inside Accra Cultural Week

Experiencing the exhibitions, installations and acts of Accra Cultural Week, observers witness how superior art feeds and shapes a country’s past and character. The centrepiece was without doubt Serge Attukwei Clottey’s remarkable [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which displayed his innovative afrogallonism on full display: a concept that reimagines yellow jerrycans into illusory works of art, tapestries of yellow, brass and gold. The exhibition was created as a testament to the resilience of the historic district, a venerable quarter of Accra.

This area – predominantly inhabited by the Ga ethnic group, a seafaring people – is furthermore where a great number of returning Africans returned from Brazil and settled in the 19th century. Known as the Tabom community, they brought Portuguese language and customs.

Throughout Jamestown, one observes a blend of architecture. You'll find Franklin House, boasting its distinct European-style masonry and curved entrances. Another landmark is the prominent Jamestown Lighthouse, constructed in the 1800s and later featuring its recognizable banded exterior.

Traditions of Remembrance

Also notable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of funeral posters. On every corner, be it affixed to alleyways or on larger billboards, one finds announcements and expressions of mourning. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are major communal events.

In this spectacular installation, all of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are evoked – notably in the enveloping beach-themed installation. Here, one is relaxed by the audio of ocean surf with sand on the floor, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and depictions of vessels celebrate its dynamic, multigenerational seafaring tradition. However standing in this venue, it's hard to ignore the piles of cast-off garments that threaten the charm and tranquillity of the region.

In Addition to the Main Event

There is additional highlights. Inside an unfinished structure at the local university, artist Sylvester presented a deeply moving minimalist collection, an incredibly moving, minimalist exhibition that featured three-dimensional works and canvases created in partnership with welders.

And then there is the prestigious art award for Ghanaian women creators. It featured the first solo show of a 2024 winner, whose work draws on personal family archives to produce a artistic representation of life in Ghana after independence. The event also crowned a new winner, whose varied work is intensely concerned with the craft techniques of women in Dabala.

A Lasting Legacy

Although the diaspora has more and more been pulled home to the region during the winter months, a growing cohort are thinking about travelling some months earlier to immerse themselves in the area's cultural season. Between Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what is evident are cultural ecosystems that are not simply nascent or “rising” but have built up an complete landscape that is enduring.

Finally, the visit offers a vision of Accra that serves as a declaration for ecological stewardship and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a compelling tribute to perseverance in all its manifestations.