CHALE WOTE 2015 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

The 5th Annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival

AFRICAN ELECTRONICS

James Town 20 – 23 August 

The Fifth Annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival takes place from 20- 23 August 2015. CHALE WOTE is produced by ACCRA [dot] ALT and annual partners, REDD KAT Pictures, Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, Dr. Monk, AfroGallonism and No Limit Charity Foundation.  CHALE WOTE draws thousands to James Town and 2015 promises an even larger audience. The festival is a collective effort of many people ranging from artists, musicians, community activists, writers, designers and students, all working together to sustain and grow West Africa’s largest street art festival. The free festival includes murals, street paintings, theatre, installations, live music performances, dance, extreme sports, fashion, poetry, historical tours, art workshops, food and technology markets.  For the first time, we are expanding the festival to a 4-day experience. On Thursday, 20 August – Friday, 21 August, CHALE WOTE will host The LABS. This interactive series of conversations, film screenings and music installations explore the theme of this year’s festival, African Electronics, from 1 – 9PM both days. Thursday’s LABS take place at Nubuke Foundation while Friday’s LABS take place at WEB Du Bois Centre.   On 22-23 August, CHALE WOTE continues in James Town with over 200 Accrabased and international artists launching original and site-specific installations and performances along High Street and into the James Town community (12midday – 9pm). More than 25 works will take shape by Ghanaian artists including BrightAckwerh, Benjamin Okantey, Adjo Kisser, Steloo, Faustina Nsoh, crazinisT artist, Nana Oforiatta Ayim, Attukwei Clottey, Kwame Asante Agyare and Accra Theatre Workshop, among many others. CHALE WOTE 2015 also welcomes works by internationally acclaimed participants including the JHB Massive – a multidisciplinary group of 15 South African artists, Elsa M’bala (Cameroon), Temi Kogbe (Nigeria), Anna Kurtycz and RUDEK (Benin), Kitso Lelliott (South Africa), Sandra Krampelhuber (Austria) and Kenturah Davis (U.S.), among others.

Some key features of CHALE WOTE 2015 include: 

• Historical tours of James Town and Ussher Town, the beachside and key landmarks. Tours take place at the top of every hour (12midday – 5pm) at Brazil House.

• A matrix of installations and performances off High Street on Brazil Lane, Brazil House, Franklin House and Akanmaje Park and Palace

• The Open Runway, a street fashion catwalk from 3-4pm on Saturday and Sunday, opposite the James Town Post Office • The HighLife Music Café in Mantse Agbonaa featuring live music bands and DJ installations on Saturday + Sunday between 12midday6pm

• Children’s City, an interactive zone of art activities for children ages 8-15 at the Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA)

• High energy processions by the Flat Land Boys, Go Lokal and James Town community members • The Nubuke Hub featuring murals and conversations about electronics waste in Ghana, between James Town Post Office and the Customs building

• A tech lounge, fashion designers, food and art markets  In addition to this, the two-day LABS will feature more than a dozen short films by Ghanaian and international filmmakers.

Some of the conversations @ The LABS include: 

• boogie electronicus africanus. This interactive talk and DJ session with Temi Kogbe looks at highlife music in Nigeria and Ghana during the 1970s and 1980s as a way of engaging the politics of social life as a form of African electronics. (4-5pm, 20/8 Nubuke)

• Queer Vibrations: Stories About African Women’s Diverse Sexualities. This Adventures From the Bedrooms of African Women conversation features a racy Q&A, discussion and readings by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (co-founder of the website), Nana Akosua Hanson (radio personality, writer + actress) and writer Rafeeat Aliyu. Moderated by Paula Akugizibwe, Contributing Editor to Chimurenga. (6-7pm, 20/8 Nubuke)

• No Flex Zone: Keeping Our Cultural Heritage Alive Through Digital Media. An Art Talk with Wàllá Dá Women. Through the lens of five photography and digital media savvy women we’ll discuss how these tools can be used to add nuance to conversations about Africa taking the world by storm. Including Maame Adjei (Ghana), Twiggy Moli (SA), Yagazi Emezi (Nigeria), Velma Rossa (Kenya) and Lesedi Ramone (SA). With Tastemakers Africa. (1-2pm, 21/8 Du Bois Centre)
Contact the festival operations office @ accra.alt@gmail.com or http://www.accradotaltradio.com for press passes or additional information.

ACCRA dot ALT team.