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Following over 50 editions exploring the worldwide Black diaspora, this represents a last piece. The experience has been deeply rewarding, with great gratitude directed to all the dedicated audience.

Inside the Accra Festival

Attending the exhibitions, presentations and acts of this event, observers witness how the finest art sustains and shapes a nation's past and identity. The focal point was undoubtedly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which showcased his groundbreaking afrogallonism for all to see: a philosophy that reimagines plastic containers into captivating works of art, assemblages of golden hues. The display was created as a tribute to the strength of the historic district, a venerable neighbourhood of Accra.

Jamestown – largely home to the Ga people, a seafaring people – is additionally where numerous freed slaves came back from South America and established themselves in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom people, they brought Brazilian tongue and traditions.

Throughout Jamestown, one observes a blend of building designs. There’s Franklin House, boasting its unique Portuguese masonry and door arches. One can also see the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, constructed in the 1800s and eventually sporting its distinctive striped exterior.

A Culture of Mourning

Also notable about Jamestown is the pervasive presence of funeral posters. On every corner, be it affixed to walls or on larger signboards, there are service information and expressions of mourning. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, final rites are significant social gatherings.

In Clottey’s impressive installation, every aspect of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are present – notably in the engaging shoreline installation. Within it, visitors are calmed by the audio of the sea with sand on the floor, while shelters, nets and representations of boats honour its spirited, multigenerational maritime community. But standing in this gallery, the mind turns to the heaps of textile waste that mar the beauty and tranquillity of the area.

In Addition to the Centrepiece

There is additional highlights. Within an incomplete building at the campus, creator Sylvester showcased On the Other Side of Languish, an profoundly affecting, austere exhibition that displayed three-dimensional works and canvases created in concert with artisans.

Also featured was the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It showcased the first solo show of a recent laureate, whose work references personal family archives to create a visual impression of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also announced a latest champion, whose varied work is intensely concerned with the textile traditions of women in the Volta region.

A Permanent Legacy

Although the overseas community has more and more been pulled home to west Africa during the colder season, an increasing number are considering visiting for the cultural season to experience the region’s cultural season. Between this festival and regional art fairs, what emerges are creative communities that are not simply emerging or “rising” but have forged an complete universe that is permanent.

Finally, the experience provides a vision of Accra that resembles a manifesto for ecological stewardship and the preservation of tradition. It is a compelling tribute to perseverance in all its expressions.