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Following more than 50 editions delving into the worldwide Black diaspora, this represents a last column. The experience has been incredibly gratifying, and immense gratitude directed to all the attentive readers.

Exploring the Cultural Week

Visiting the exhibitions, installations and shows of Accra Cultural Week, it becomes clear how exceptional art sustains and shapes a nation's heritage and identity. The centrepiece was undoubtedly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning a profound exploration of ritual and time, which displayed his pioneering afrogallonism in full view: a concept that transforms water vessels into mesmerizing works of art, tapestries of metallic tones. The show was conceived as a homage to the strength of Jamestown, a venerable quarter of Accra.

This area – largely home to the Ga people, a fishing community – is also where numerous freed slaves returned from Brazil and settled in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom, they carried with them Brazilian tongue and customs.

In every part of Jamestown, visitors encounter a blend of architectural styles. There’s Franklin House, with its distinct colonial-era brickwork and arched doorways. Another landmark is the prominent beacon, erected in the 19th century and eventually given its recognizable striped facade.

A Culture of Remembrance

Furthermore notable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of obituary announcements. Everywhere you turn, whether affixed to alleyways or on big signboards, there are announcements and phrases of farewell. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, funerals are major community celebrations.

In Clottey’s impressive exhibition, every aspect of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – particularly in the immersive beach-themed piece. Within it, you’re soothed by the audio of crashing waves with beach material at your feet, while shelters, nets and images of vessels celebrate its vibrant, multigenerational fishing community. Yet standing in this gallery, one cannot help but think of the heaps of textile waste that mar the charm and peace of the area.

In Addition to the Headline Act

The festival program included a great deal more. Housed in an raw space at the campus, creator Sylvester exhibited On the Other Side of Languish, an incredibly moving, minimalist show that featured three-dimensional works and artworks made in collaboration with metalworkers.

And then there is the competition for female artists for female Ghanaian artists. It featured the debut presentation of a prior recipient, whose work draws on familial archival records to produce a visual impression of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a new winner, whose multidisciplinary work is deeply focused on the craft techniques of women in the Volta region.

An Enduring Presence

While the overseas community has more and more been drawn back to west Africa in the winter months, an increasing number are contemplating visiting earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the area's cultural season. From Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what is evident are cultural ecosystems that are not merely emerging or “upcoming” but have forged an whole world that is enduring.

Finally, the experience offers a vision of Accra that resembles a statement for environmental protection and the safeguarding of heritage. It is a resonant tribute to adaptability in all its manifestations.