Chale Wote Street Art Festival goes virtual

The 10th anniversary of every event is usually celebrated with a lot of fanfare and ACCRA[dot]ALT, organisers of the hugely popular Chale Wote Street Art Festival, would have loved to turn up the style as the event hits a decade this year.

Unfortunately, that will not be the case as COVID-19 has put paid to any such plans and the nearly 10-day event, which started on Friday, August 13 is going virtual.

A release from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said it had become necessary for this year’s festival to go virtual because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

It is also in compliance with President Akufo-Addo's 26th update on COVID-19 where he advised people to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.

The release also indicated that all programmes lined up for this year’s festival will be broadcast on social media and other online channels and encouraged the citizenry to follow and support all the activities.

Alternative Arts

Initiated in 2011, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival is an alternative platform that brings art, music, dance and performance onto the streets of James Town in Accra.

It promotes the appreciation of diverse forms of art in Ghana and challenges artistes and community-based audiences to connect through art.

The festival includes street painting, graffiti murals, photo exhibitions, interactive installations, a food and fashion marketplace, live street performances, extreme sports, African Cinema pavilion, street boxing, a fashion parade, a music block party, design labs and much more.

More than 200 Ghana-based and international artists take part in the event every year and it attracts thousands of people every year.

This year’s festival will run till Sunday, August 22.