Last Summer Archivist and Engagement Producer Kaitlene Koranteng travelled to Accra and Tamale in Ghana, to archiving and collecting practice.Learn more about her time in Tamale below:
An important part of my research trip was going to Tamale, Ghana. Tamale is third largest city in Ghana and the capital of the Northern Region. Prior to travelling to Tamale, I had attended a screening of Certain Winds From the South, a short adaptation of the acclaimed Ghanian writer Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo by photographer and film maker Eric Gyamfi. The story of Certain Winds From the South, highlights an ongoing inequality in Ghana, punctuated by a migration pattern from the North to South, Tamale to Accra, that remains ongoing. This inequality is also present in the representation of Ghanian culture in wider society, which is one reason why I thought it was important to go to Tamale and learn about initiatives taking place.
Upon my arrival Tamale, there is a clear cultural difference from its Southern counterpoint. Tamale provides a soothing energy compared to Accra’s bustling energy. The languages and food also differ, due to the tribal ethnic groups present in the region. The popular method of transport is motorbike opposed to a car or a yellow-yellow (a three-wheeled rickshaw taxi), which was a change from trying to navigate and avoid the grid-locked traffic of Accra. The temperature was far warmer, due to its proximity to the equator and resulting in the surrounding savannah landscape that Tamale is know for.
I visited was dubbed The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA). From my hotel I attempted to use yellow- yellow, however encountered difficulty trying to tell the driver where I was trying to go. Luckily, I encountered Justice, a fellow yellow-yellow passenger who happened be tour guide providing tours of Tamale and Northern Ghana lent a helping hand. Before Justice got off at his stop, he offered to pick me up in an hour to help me navigate the city.
SCCA forms one of the three organisations founded by the artist Ibrahim Mahama, who is from Tamale – the others being Red Clay Studios, an institution built to rethink the role of the artist’s studio in the 21st Century, and lastly Nkrumah Volini, an extension of SCCA. The red-bricked building SCCA finds itself just outside of the main city centre, standing out amongst the landscape (As waited outside a pair of young men approached and asked if it was a church). The centre acts as an exhibition space, a research hub, and an artists’ residency. The centre holds a burgeoning library and study space available for anyone to come and use.
Kaitlene Koranteng at Red Clay Studios in Tamale, Ghana which straddles museum, archive and artists’ studio
Later that day I visited Red Clay Studios, which gets name from the red clay bricks used to build Red Clay and SCCA, as well the soil they both find themselves upon. As I approached Red Clay I was greeted by a field of decommissioned planes and trains – an homage to the post–independence industrialization of the country. It’s a sprawling campus, with evidence of
more buildings to come by the construction happening around. Once completed Red Clay promises to host archives, studio spaces, classrooms, screening halls, a library, a sound recording studio, photography studio and a space of gathering (the ‘parliament of ghost’).
I was met by one of the staff members of Red Clay, exploring the large-scale installations, exploring themes of industry, historical gaps. I was particularly interested in the archive room, which hosted a variety of documents and objects, including traditional clothing, instruments, various documents including schoolbooks, mining logs and more. Many of these objects were meant for disposal but were claimed for Red Clay – a reclamation of history that seems unimportant.
After my tour I met with Selom Kudjie, artistic director of SCCA, Red Clay and Nkrumah Volini. He spoke to me about Red Clay, its programming and for the future. The not–yet completed building we found ourselves were destined to become accommodation for residencies, the planes we saw on my approach were used as classrooms for visiting schools.
Kaitlene outside Nkrumah Volini
Justice took me back to town where we explored more of the city of Tamale, including the Tamale Central Market where we tried kola nuts, a bitter caffeinated filled nut. Our evening ended by taking a walk-through the traditional Chief’s Palace, which sits at the centre of Tamale and trying the beloved northern Ghanian delicacy Tuo Zafi aka TZ.
The next day Selom picked me up and we returned to the SCCA, so I could spend more time in the library. Later that day we went to Nkrumah Volini – an extension of SCCA focused on archaeological memories, ecological ideas and forms and the thinking of future form. The building whose name directly translates to Nkrumah’s Hole – is an abandoned grain silo, that formed part of project to build grain silo in each region in Ghana. The project was abandoned after a coup d’etat which led to the exile of Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah.
SCCA library
There was not currently an exhibition on due to ongoing works to prevent flooding and pump existing stagnant water. Unfortunately, the water and my choice to wear shorts I was devoured by mosquitoes. Selom spoke to me about the site-specific nature of Nkrumah Volini and its programming. Fundamentally, Tamale does not have a traditional art scene, so much of the SCCA involves challenging what engagement with art looks like and making it specific to Tamale.
Later we returned to town and parted ways. I made my way to my last destination in Tamale, Nuku Studios. Nuku Studios is a space dedicated to sustainable artistic and professional photographic practice. Nuku’s work straddles various projects including exhibitions, publications, archiving, residencies. I was particularly interested in their efforts to collect and archive photographs of Ghana.