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After more than fifty installments exploring the global Black diaspora, this marks a concluding column. The experience has been profoundly gratifying, and sincere gratitude offered to all the attentive followers.

A Look Inside the Accra Festival

Experiencing the displays, presentations and acts of the festival, one sees how superior art sustains and builds a nation's heritage and identity. The centrepiece was certainly the artist's exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which displayed his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a approach that reimagines plastic containers into mesmerizing art pieces, assemblages of yellow, brass and gold. The show was created as a testament to the strength of the historic district, a historic neighbourhood of Accra.

Jamestown – predominantly home to the Ga ethnic group, a fishing community – is also where many returning Africans returned from South America and made their home in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom people, they carried with them Portuguese language and customs.

Throughout Jamestown, one observes a blend of building designs. Standing is Fort Vicentia, featuring its characteristic European-style construction and curved entrances. Also present is the iconic lighthouse of Jamestown, constructed in the 19th century and eventually sporting its recognizable striped exterior.

Customs of Remembrance

Equally striking about Jamestown is the pervasive sight of memorial notices. On every corner, whether plastered over walls or on big billboards, one finds announcements and phrases of loss. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, final rites are major communal events.

In the artist's spectacular show, the entirety of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – particularly in the engaging beach-themed installation. In this space, visitors are calmed by the recording of the sea with sand on the floor, while beach huts, hanging fishing nets and representations of vessels pay homage to its vibrant, long-standing fishing community. However experiencing this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the mountains of textile waste that mar the aesthetics and serenity of the area.

Beyond the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features additional highlights. Housed in an raw space at the campus, artist Reginald Sylvester II showcased a deeply moving minimalist collection, an incredibly moving, minimalist presentation that displayed sculptures and canvases made in concert with metalworkers.

And then there is the competition for female artists for Ghanaian women creators. It showcased the first solo show of a prior winner, whose work references familial archival records to create a depiction of life in Ghana after independence. The event also crowned a latest champion, whose multidisciplinary work is intensely focused on the textile traditions of women in Dabala.

A Permanent Presence

Although the diaspora has more and more been drawn home to Ghana in the winter months, an increasing number are thinking about visiting earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the region’s cultural season. From Accra Cultural Week and other major events, what is evident are art scenes that are not simply emerging or “upcoming” but have built up an entire landscape that is permanent.

Ultimately, the experience leaves one with a image of Accra that feels like a declaration for conservation and the keeping alive of heritage. It is a compelling testament to perseverance in all its expressions.