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After more than 50 editions navigating the global Black diaspora, this marks a last dispatch. The journey was deeply fulfilling, with immense thanks directed to all the engaged readers.

A Look Inside the Cultural Week

Attending the displays, installations and shows of this event, observers witness how the finest art sustains and builds a country’s history and essence. The highlight was without doubt Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which showcased his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a philosophy that reimagines water vessels into illusory art pieces, assemblages of metallic tones. The display was conceived as a homage to the endurance of the historic district, a historical quarter of Accra.

Jamestown – mainly inhabited by the Ga community, a fishing community – is also where many freed slaves returned from South America and established themselves in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom, they introduced Portuguese language and traditions.

Throughout Jamestown, you can see a fusion of architectural styles. There’s a historic building, boasting its distinct colonial-era masonry and curved entrances. Another landmark is the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, erected in the 1800s and later featuring its signature red-and-white-striped appearance.

Traditions of Mourning

Equally striking about Jamestown is the pervasive sight of obituary announcements. Everywhere you turn, be it covering buildings or on sizable signboards, there are announcements and terms of farewell. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, funerals are large-scale social gatherings.

In this breathtaking exhibition, all of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – particularly in the enveloping Jamestown nshonaa work. Within it, visitors are calmed by the recording of crashing waves with granules on the floor, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and images of canoes honour its vibrant, generational seafaring tradition. Yet standing in this exhibition space, the mind turns to the mountains of discarded clothing that threaten the beauty and serenity of the shoreline.

Apart from the Main Event

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Inside an unfinished structure at the local university, artist Sylvester exhibited On the Other Side of Languish, an profoundly affecting, austere show that displayed three-dimensional works and paintings produced in collaboration with welders.

Another key element is the prestigious art award for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It showcased the debut presentation of a recent winner, whose work utilizes familial archival records to produce a visual impression of life in Ghana after independence. The event also announced a latest winner, whose diverse work is intensely concerned with the textile traditions of women in a specific region.

A Permanent Impact

While the overseas community has increasingly been pulled back to west Africa during the winter months, an increasing number are thinking about visiting for the cultural season to immerse themselves in the region’s festival period. Between Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what emerges are cultural ecosystems that are not merely emerging or “rising” but have built up an whole universe that is enduring.

Ultimately, the journey offers a perception of Accra that serves as a manifesto for environmental protection and the preservation of heritage. It is a powerful homage to perseverance in all its expressions.