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Following in excess of 50 editions delving into the international Black diaspora, this marks a last column. The tenure has been incredibly rewarding, with great gratitude extended to every one of the attentive followers.

Exploring Accra Cultural Week

Experiencing the exhibitions, installations and performances of Accra Cultural Week, one sees how exceptional art feeds and builds a nation's past and identity. The focal point was certainly the artist's exquisite [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his groundbreaking afrogallonism on full display: a concept that converts water vessels into illusory creations, tapestries of metallic tones. The show was conceived as a homage to the strength of this area, a historical quarter of Accra.

The community – predominantly home to the Ga ethnic group, a fishing community – is additionally where many formerly enslaved people returned from South America and made their home in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom people, they brought Brazilian tongue and culture.

In every part of Jamestown, you can see a mix of architectural styles. You'll find a historic building, with its unique European-style masonry and arched doorways. Another landmark is the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, built in the 19th century and subsequently given its recognizable red-and-white-striped exterior.

Traditions of Remembrance

Equally remarkable about Jamestown is the ever-present presence of obituary announcements. Everywhere you turn, be it plastered over buildings or on larger hoardings, one finds service information and expressions of farewell. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are significant communal events.

In the artist's impressive show, the entirety of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are present – notably in the enveloping shoreline work. In this space, one is relaxed by the audio of crashing waves with sand underfoot, while shacks, draped nets and depictions of vessels celebrate its vibrant, multigenerational seafaring tradition. Yet being present in this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the piles of textile waste that compromise the aesthetics and tranquillity of the region.

Apart from the Main Event

There is additional highlights. Housed in an unfinished structure at the local university, creator Reginald Sylvester II showcased On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, austere exhibition that included three-dimensional works and paintings made in partnership with welders.

And then there is the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It showcased the inaugural exhibition of a recent laureate, whose work references historical documents to produce a depiction of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also honored a latest winner, whose diverse work is deeply concerned with the textile traditions of women in the Volta region.

A Permanent Legacy

While the overseas community has increasingly been attracted back to the region in the winter months, more and more are thinking about visiting earlier in the year to engage with the area's cultural season. Between this festival and regional art fairs, what is evident are creative communities that are not merely new or “rising” but have established an complete landscape that is enduring.

Ultimately, the journey offers a image of Accra that resembles a manifesto for ecological stewardship and the preservation of culture. It is a powerful tribute to perseverance in all its expressions.