Thousands attend 2024 Chale Wote Street Art Festival

The 14th edition of the Chale Wote Street Art Festival, a platform that brings art, music, dance and performance out of the galleries onto the streets of Osu in Accra, has been held.

The event which opened in Accra on Monday, August 19, 2024 and ended on August 25, 2024 at the Blackstar Square in Accra, saw scores of people in attendance.

The festival seeks to cultivate a wider audience for the arts in West Africa by breaking creative boundaries
and using art as a viable form to rejuvenate public spaces. The festival includes street painting, graffiti murals, photo exhibitions, interactive installations, a food and fashion marketplace, live street performances, extreme sports, African film shows, street boxing, a fashion parade, a music block party, recyclable design workshops and much more.

The 2024 event opened with a silent procession through the Osu township, with participants clad in all-white attires on Monday, August 19, 2024. There were a declaration by team in the Christiansborg castle and the opening of Shika Shika Art Fair in the Garden.

Other activities during the first day of the Chale Wote Street Art Festival were royal music performance by Osu Klottey School of African Music, Dagara Music Centre performance, Nyonmo Y3 Jen Cultural Group dance performance, film screening and conversations.

On Day 2 (Tuesday, August 21, 2024), patrons of the 2024 Chale Wote Street Art Festival joined the people of Osu in Accra to celebrate their history of triumphs over strife and ancestral migration. They participated in ceremonies of renewal in the Homowo Festival, celebrated by the Gas.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, the Denyigba Borborbor Group captivated the audience with an enthralling Borborbor performance.

Their performance was more than just entertainment; it was a powerful expression of the political, spiritual, and sensual dimensions deeply rooted in their culture. Borborbor is a celebration of life, community, and the strength of the bond of the people along the Gulf of Guinea.

Also on the third day, there was an insightful knowledge-sharing session led by Asafoatse Atanarh of Osu Ashantey, who discussed ancient warfare strategies and weapons with intelligence.

Throughout the day, the Castle Gardens full of energy as visitors of all age groups came to experience the ongoing Shika Shika Art Fair.

Illashaz also led a session on the evolution of hip-hop in Ghana and its journey over the years. He later took the stage to perform a few of his powerful conscious rap songs. The evening concluded with two thought-provoking film screenings, followed by a spirited conversation on reverse aid-giving, saviorism, and the challenges of caring for loved ones with terminal illnesses.

On Thursday, August 22, 2024 (the Day 4 of the festival), there was a Talk Party featuring participating artists. The conversation provided a platform for artists to freely express their thoughts on a range of subjects, including the African definition of art, the concept of hope, and strategies for claiming space in urban environments.

Throughout the discussion, several probing questions led to the emergence of fascinating stories and ideas, revealing the diverse perspectives and experiences of the artists. Earlier in the day, Eli Asem captivated the audience by sharing ancient knowledge and practices of weaving, adding another layer of depth to the Chalewote labs.

In the afternoon’s conversation, titled ‘Kente Techniques in Analog Designs’, Eli Asem, a weaver from Agotime Kpetoe, took patrons through the intricate techniques of kente weaving and the meanings behind the symbols embedded in the designs. These symbols, ranging from everyday objects to ecological motifs, carry deep significance. Eli emphasised that kente weaving is an ancestral craft, passed down through generations, and that it holds profound messages. According to him, these weighty revelations are revealed only to those with a pure heart.

On Friday, August 24, 2024, the Shika Shika Art Fair was still active at the Christiansborg Castle while children engaged in painting session. The Giants don’t hide anymore (Interaction with murals in Osu Conmunity especially Nii Owuo Street) also took place on the same day. There was also activities such as the Chale Wote Masquerade Jam at the Castle Gardens.

The 6th day of the 2024 Chale Wote Street Art Festival brought together several performing artists at the Blackstar Square in Accra. On the Sabolai Radio stage were artistes such as Flowking Stone, Dancegod Lloyd, DWP Academy, Saint Z, among others.

The hype MCs, Obiba JK and Kojo Manuel, got the audiences charged up as various acts mounted the stage to entertain the audience on Saturday evening.

There will be a Food Court on Saturday, August 24, 2024 that will provide a taste of Ghana as it serves some of Ghana’s finest culinary delights.

The fun continued on Sunday when thousands of people thronged the Blackstar Square to wrap up the celebration. There were more display of art works and musical performances .

For the second time, The Multimedia Group was the official media partner for the festival. Through its experienced reporters, the media company gave viewers, listeners and readers of its platforms, comprehensive coverage of everything that happens throughout the period.

Last year, the event started from the Independence Square all the way into the Osu township, where the High Court complex is, down into Independence Square, into the Osu Castle, into the Osu community, all the way down to Oxford Street, and all up to the Osu cemetery traffic light coming towards Accra Sports Stadium, rounding it back into Independence Square.

The story was also performed as a musical theatre piece called ‘Memory Movement Freedom’ by multiple community-based performance, dance troupes and brass band.

Some major activities for last year’s edition of the festival were photo exhibitions, street painting, graffiti murals, interactive installations, street boxing, movie screening, processions, design labs, movie screenings, and more.

It is organised by Accra [dot] ALT, in collaboration with Redd Kat Pictures and Chale Wote Street Art Projekt.

Source: Kwame Dadzie