Unfolding Cultural Heritage to kick off on May 28

The Unfolding Cultural Heritage project is set to kick off on May 28, promising to showcase and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the region.

Unfolding Cultural Heritage is an international cooperation project by Ramdom, Bibliomuseum Center of Lecce, and Artlife Matters, funded by Apulia Region.

 It connects the Salento region (Italy) with Greater Accra (Ghana) through art residencies, cultural exchanges, training programmes, and collaborative workshops aimed at uncovering and reimagining intangible heritage through the arts.

It is supported by the National Folklore Board and the Centre for National Culture, Greater Accr and expected to run from May to October this year in Accra and Tutu in the Eastern Region.

It is designed to promote dialogue between cultural professionals, artists, institutions, and local communities. 

It emphasises the role of contemporary arts as tools for intercultural exchange, community engagement, and sustainable development, in alignment with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

The initiative aims to build capacities in the cultural and creative sectors, support the emergence and reinterpretation of oral and intangible heritage, promote social impact initiatives, particularly for youth and families, and encourage the use of digital technologies in storytelling and knowledge transfer.

The first step includes an online training and co-design programme, with four thematic workshops open to freelancers and public and private organisations from Europe and Africa.

 The virtual training will focus on the following topics: Museums and Libraries in the 2030 Agenda; Arts and New Languages for the Emergence and Enhancement of Intangible Heritage, Community Engagement and New Technologies and New Narratives.

Artistic residencies and field research will involve two Italian and two Ghanaian artistes, working across disciplines to explore and reinterpret traditional practices. 

Their work will result in a children’s illustrated book, a digital archive of audiovisual materials, and a collective mural inspired by Ghanaian “talking drums” and oral storytelling.

The residency in Ghana will bring the artistic collective to the village of Tutu (Eastern Region) for a six-day cultural immersion.

 Activities will include workshops in schools and community spaces, creative labs focused on folklore and performance and co-creation sessions to design future collaborations.

An open international call has been launched, inviting institutions and professionals to contribute to the project’s collaborative vision and cultural programming.