The city of Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana is set to host the Woori 2024 Festival, an annual event that celebrates the rich heritage of Ghanaian weaving and textile design.

Organised by the Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay in Loho, Wa, this year's festival is themed "Weaving a Sustainable Future for the Next Generation," focusing on the transmission of cultural heritage and the promotion of sustainable artistic practices to safeguard the future.

This year’s Woori promises to be a celebration of culture, creativity, and community activism, showcasing the best of Ghanaian weaving traditions and textile design. The festival will feature a range of activities, including educational workshops, an art exhibition, live demonstrations, performances, film screenings, music, and a fashion show, all set to take place at the  Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay in Loho, Wa, between the 1st-3rd March, 2024.

The festival's programme is designed to be both informative and interactive, appealing to a wide audience including artists, art enthusiasts, families, and tourists. Highlights include:

Workshops and engaging interactive sessions led by master weavers selected from the Women's Weaving Association in Nadowli, Nandom, and the Wa Methodist School for the Blind and School of the Deaf in Wa, will focus on traditional and contemporary weaving techniques, sustainable practices, and innovative textile design. The weavers participating in this year’s Woori’s  festival include: Sharllot Awe, Winifred Naah, Rosemary Kavening, Talata Tutiga, Anna Dakurah and master weavers from the weaving associations in the Upper West Region.

Live Demonstrations will show artisans at work, from spinning and dyeing to the delicate process of loom weaving, providing a firsthand experience of the skill and experience  involved in Ghanaian textile creation. Special activities, live demonstrations and interactive sessions designed for children and young adults, will be incorporated into this year’s Woori festival to ensure youth participation and engagement. 

An art exhibition showcasing a diverse range of woven fabric and textiles designs by weavers, fashion designers as well as tie and dye specialists will be on display throughout the festival period. Other textile related artworks by contemporary Ghanaian artists and emerging talents, will be exhibited. 

They include sculptures, paintings, digital illustrations and multimedia installations by contemporary artists like Isaac Opoku, Patrick Tagoe-Turkson, Senyati Koakh, Amelia Cherbu, and Edmund Anyebuno. Panel Discussions, thought-provoking conversations featuring artists, cultural historians, fashion designers, and environmentalists, discussing the role of weaving in Ghana’s cultural identity and its potential for sustainable development.

The evening sessions of the festival will include a series of cultural performances, music, dance, film screenings, and spoken word poetry, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Upper West region and Ghana as a whole. The lineup features the exhilarating music of Wiyaala, cultural performances by Kparisaga Bawaa Group and the Loho Dance Group, along with spoken word artists such as Mwuintombo the Poet and Guo Naa Francis. 

As part of the Woori 2024 festival,  attendants will have an opportunity to tour historic sites and prominent weaving centres in Wa to appreciate and purchase unique, handcrafted textiles and artworks, directly supporting local artisans and sustainable art practices. Woori Festival 2024 is more than just a celebration of Ghanaian art and culture; it is a platform for dialogue, learning, and inspiration. The festival provides a unique opportunity to engage with the rich weaving traditions of Ghana, to appreciate their historical significance, and to explore their contemporary relevance. As stated by Odile Tevie, the director of the Woori 2024 Festival:

"This year, we are particularly excited about the inclusion of children and young adults in our programme. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of artists and weavers, ensuring that the rich traditions of Ghanaian weaving continue to thrive. We invite everyone to join us in Wa to experience the beauty and diversity of Ghanaian textile art."

The Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay extends its gratitude to its partners, sponsors: The Waa Naa, Loho Naa, The  Centre for National Culture, Young Female Influencers, PEPS-C, the University of Applied Arts (Vienna), Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University and the local community of Wa for their invaluable support in making Woori Festival 2024 a reality. We look forward to welcoming you to an unforgettable celebration of Ghanaian weaving traditions and textile design.

Stylish collections from the fashion show during the Woori 2023 festival. (Designs from Teni Agana, Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway, Karimo Mahama, Shaft and Nubuke Collections).

About Nubuke Foundation:

Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay was conceived as an experimental platform to promote a connection between strip woven materials and clay products in contemporary art practice. Its residency programme for artists opened in 2022.