A Homage to Resilience: Lessons to Learn from the Splendour of Accra's Cultural Festival.

In the wake of in excess of fifty issues exploring the global Black diaspora, this signifies a concluding column. The experience was deeply fulfilling, and immense thanks directed to every one of the dedicated readers.

Exploring the Cultural Week

Experiencing the showcases, presentations and acts of this event, observers witness how the finest art sustains and shapes 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 showcased his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a philosophy that converts yellow jerrycans into mesmerizing creations, assemblages of yellow, brass and gold. The display was created as a tribute to the resilience of Jamestown, a historic neighbourhood of Accra.

Jamestown – predominantly populated by the Ga ethnic group, a community of fishermen – is furthermore where a great number of returning Africans came back from South America and made their home in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom community, they introduced Portuguese tongue and culture.

All across Jamestown, you can see a fusion of architecture. There’s a historic building, featuring its characteristic European-style masonry and curved entrances. Another landmark is the iconic Jamestown Lighthouse, built in the 1871 and subsequently given its recognizable banded exterior.

Customs of Remembrance

Furthermore remarkable about Jamestown is the ever-present sight of obituary announcements. On every corner, be it plastered over buildings or on big hoardings, you’ll see announcements and expressions of loss. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, memorial services are large-scale community celebrations.

In this spectacular show, the entirety of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – especially in the enveloping shoreline work. Here, visitors are calmed by the recording of the sea with granules at your feet, while shacks, draped nets and depictions of canoes celebrate its spirited, multigenerational seafaring tradition. Yet experiencing this gallery, it's hard to ignore the piles of cast-off garments that compromise the charm and serenity of the region.

Apart from the Headline Act

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Inside an raw space at the local university, artist Reginald Sylvester II showcased On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, minimalist presentation that displayed sculptures and paintings produced in partnership with welders.

Also featured was the competition for female artists for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It featured the debut presentation of a prior recipient, whose work utilizes personal family archives to craft a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also honored a current champion, whose varied work is intensely invested in the textile traditions of women in a specific region.

An Enduring Impact

Although the global African community has more and more been drawn back to the region in the winter months, more and more are considering journeying earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the area's festival period. From Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what is evident are art scenes that are not merely new or “upcoming” but have established an entire world that is permanent.

Finally, the journey leaves one with a perception of Accra that serves as a declaration for conservation and the preservation of tradition. It is a powerful tribute to perseverance in all its forms.