Accra-Ghana, Sept.14, GNA – From face paintings, graffiti, mini concerts, fashion shows, gaming hubs, stunt riders to food vendors, the Back Star Square and its enclave became the melting pot of everything artistic on Saturday and Sunday.
The ‘Chale Wote’ Street Art Festival, which took off gradually on Monday August 21, 2023, peaked at the Square, with thousands of local and foreign nationals, celebrating indigenous arts and culture in different forms.
Organisers relocated this year’s event from Jamestown to Osu for strategic reasons and it appeared the move had produced the desired outcome.
Apart from creating a larger perimeter for people to explore the arts, security and mobility, and other logistics offered on location to enhance the architecture of blended creativity.
Security personnel were visible throughout the days and nights, and that alone was enough to ward off persons with malicious intentions. Before the climax, the celebration had been interspersed with workshops, movie screening/reviews, and interactive sessions by individuals and resource persons well-versed in the arts.
The lush and manicured Christiansborg Castle lawns and gardens provided the needed ambience for the initial exhibitions and insightful conversations in the first five days.
A remembrance walk, preceding all activities and subsequent programmes at the Gardens, attracted several guests but, clearly, the remaining celebrants had been ‘lurking’ for the final hours of the funfair at the Square.
The potpourri of side attractions, on day six and seven, sunk well with the radiant paintings, sculpture, costumes, choreography, and associated artistry projected by individuals across all age groups.
For some patrons, the 13th edition of the festival had lived up to expectations with a good rating on their overall score card.
Undoubtedly, the Chale Wote festival is a hidden rough gem which could be leveraged to help augment the nation’s sources of revenue. The art works displays were a testament to the fact that local artists could become “game changers” in the tourism industry.
Some artists attributed the prices of their works (which could range between GH¢ 1,500 and GH¢ 6,000) to increasing cost of imported raw materials. This, they agreed, was beyond the financial strength of the ordinary Ghanaian.
Nonetheless, they relied heavily on social media platforms to market their craft which caught the attention of the international community.
Art initiatives such as ‘Chale Wote’ mounted frequently will attract tourists and contribute to targets set by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The pomp and pageantry, jamboree and the food bazaar witnessed on Saturday and Sunday again creates an enabling atmosphere for state and private sector collaboration for “a food tourism” programme which could be a week-long event, offering another viable option for revelers.
It was brisk business for vendors in the final two days, as they stayed through the day and night to make some cash, with fatigue evident in their voices and facial expressions.
Art Exhibitor, Domenyo Galley, however, was not looking forward to making lots of cash. For him, the mere appreciation and “connection” people made with his works was enough fulfilment. “We are just showing our history and once people can connect with history, we know we’ve made an impact. This is our first Chale Wote exhibition, and we look forward to greater things in future,” he said.
His colleague Solomon Lotsa believed the exhibitions and the week-long celebration had helped project the country in a positive light. Other guests also had a positive impression of the celebration.
“Based on previous experience, I give the organisers 75 per cent this year because of the set up coming here as a driver, I notice the spaces were less congested and it was easy to move around.” Godwin who came with his family on Sunday night, told the Ghana News Agency.
A regular patron and merrymaker, Awurama, believed there was “still more room for improvement” although she had a good time with friends. “We’ve enjoyed and we’re still enjoying it. Last year I was busy selling, but I decided to join the crowd today [Sunday] to have fun,” she said, while jamming to back-to-back music near a Dj booth at the Square.
Patricia, who was also getting into the groove on the grand finale, said the Black Star Square was accommodating but she would prefer that the show returned to Jamestown.
Apart from appreciating the culture and interacting with good people, Dream Sabali, a Ghanaian and half-Jamaican, felt a “sense of safety” throughout the festival. Charnel Nyamekye, who was also immersed in the music and performances, had similar feelings and excitement.
Undoubtedly, Chale Wote Street Art Festival, in the last 13 years, has maintained its reputation and buzz, allowing guests to relate with the arts from different spectrums.
The 2023 edition was facilitated by a host state and private sponsorships, living up the expectation of a “magnet”, as it was intended to be, as captured in this year’s theme: “Magneto Motherland.”
