Beads are a fascinating and important part of our culture and heritage; they are an expression of the creativity and aesthetic of our people. In line with the theme for the year which creates a platform for the revival of national heritage at the National Museum, this AiD is co-organized by theFoundation for Contemporary Art and UNESCO who are working to document the Ghana’s bead making industry.

Discover a fascinating history of the beads in Ghana and the role of beads in our society. We will launch a full color 106 page book named ‘GHANA: WHERE THE BEAD SPEAKS’ which combines poetic reflections on the bead in our society by the most famous African woman writer, Ama Ata Aidoo and an essay by professor of African Studies at University of Ghana, Esi Sutherland-Addy. The book design was coordinated by bead expert Kati Torda.

Click the link for the live stream if you can’t make it http://www.ustream.tv/channel/adventures-in-the-diaspora

THIS MONTH:  Book Launch ‘Ghana: Where the Bead Speaks’

Ama Ata Aidoo is one of Ghana’s most celebrated authors and playwrights. Aidoo’s works of fiction deal with the tension between Western and African world views. Many of her protagonists are women who defy stereotypical women’s roles. She has won many awards for her writing, including the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Africa). Ms. Ata Aidoo is one of our cultural treasures

Esi Sutherland Addy is Senior Research Fellow and Head of Language, Literature and Drama Section at Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana Legon. She has an illustrious international career as a visiting lecturer at universities in the USA, France and UK and serves on many committees focusing on literature, art and gender. As an educator, she believes that “creativity is an impetus for Ghana to achieve a modern nationhood.. and cannot be taken for granted.”

When Kati Torda first came to Ghana from Hungary in 1979 as the wife of a Ghanaian graduate she was presented with bead necklaces by her in-laws as their way of welcoming her. Kati realized that beads were a bridge between the culture from which she came and the one in which she was now living. A member of the Ghana Bead Society, which she helped found, says: “Kati’s approach was not forceful.  She was welcomed by local designers.  She has put forth an evolution in beadwork which is appreciated.” Kati is the owner of Sun Trade Limited in Asylum Down.

Music by Irene and Ebo Taylor

Ebo Taylor is a legend of West African music, with a style that ranges from jazz to highlife to Afrobeat. He is considered as a major and influential musical force. The BBC recently stated that if Ebo Taylor’s sounds as good playing live as he does on the record, the septuagenarian could at last win the following he deserves. Come and find out!

Moderated by Joe Addo and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (African Women’s Development Fund, Maksi Clothing)

Sponsored by  

THEME FOR 2012: REVIVING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART

This year we are turning our attention to ‘REVIVING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART’, with a series of conversations between you all and our audience and benefactors. The ‘NKOMO series’ is just that, a measured insightful tone for dialogue and understanding of how Culture and Heritage should shape Contemporary Africa. If you missed the last AiD which launched the Friends of the Museum at the National Museum in March, we hope you find the time to visit soon. The Friends of the Museum and Airtel have sponsored a wifi zone on the grounds of the National Museum so that lovers of art and culture can gather, socialize, engage and BROWSE for free! Coral Paints has also given a fresh coat of paint to the museum exterior.

The venue of our Events this Year will alternate between the Golden Tulip and the National Museum for the rest of the year. Events will be the last Thursday of each Month. We hope that our efforts will make the National Museum of Art a vibrant place to engage with our heritage and culture. We hope to continue to bring together a diverse group of people from different echelons of Ghanaian society who are very passionate about this cause. If you wish to join the Friends of the Museum, please contact tuuli.saarela@gmail.com You can find our blog at http://friendsofnationalmuseum.tumblr.com/