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In the wake of more than fifty issues exploring the international Black diaspora, this marks a concluding column. The tenure has been incredibly rewarding, with sincere gratitude offered to every one of the attentive audience.

Exploring the Accra Festival

Visiting the showcases, presentations and shows of this event, observers witness how the finest art sustains and constructs a nation's history and identity. The centrepiece was without doubt Clottey's exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which put his pioneering afrogallonism for all to see: a approach that reimagines water vessels into captivating works of art, tapestries of metallic tones. The exhibition was designed as a tribute to the resilience of this area, a historical neighbourhood of Accra.

This area – predominantly populated by the Ga community, a fishing community – is additionally where many returning Africans arrived from South America and established themselves in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom community, they carried with them Brazilian language and traditions.

In every part of Jamestown, you can see a mix of architectural styles. You'll find Franklin House, featuring its unique European-style construction and arched doorways. Another landmark is the famous beacon, constructed in the 1871 and subsequently given its distinctive banded exterior.

Traditions of Mourning

Equally striking about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of obituary announcements. On every corner, be it covering buildings or on larger signboards, there are funeral details and terms of loss. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, memorial services are significant communal events.

In this spectacular show, every aspect of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – notably in the enveloping shoreline work. Here, you’re soothed by the recording of ocean surf with sand at your feet, while shacks, nets and images of vessels celebrate its vibrant, multigenerational seafaring tradition. However being present in this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the mountains of textile waste that threaten the beauty and serenity of the area.

In Addition to the Main Event

The festival program included a great deal more. Within an unfinished structure at the local university, artist Sylvester presented On the Other Side of Languish, an profoundly affecting, austere exhibition that displayed sculptures and artworks made in collaboration with welders.

Another key element is the competition for female artists for female Ghanaian artists. It featured the inaugural exhibition of a recent recipient, whose work draws on personal family archives to craft a depiction of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also crowned a latest champion, whose varied work is intensely concerned with the weaving practices of women in the Volta region.

A Permanent Presence

While the diaspora has increasingly been attracted back to west Africa during the western winter, an increasing number are considering visiting some months earlier to experience the region’s festival period. From this festival and similar gatherings, what emerges are cultural ecosystems that are not simply nascent or “rising” but have built up an whole universe that is enduring.

In the end, the visit offers a image of Accra that resembles a declaration for conservation and the preservation of tradition. It is a powerful testament to perseverance in all its manifestations.