UNESCO to host international launch of ‘The Mansa World’

‘The Mansa World’, a stage project by Ghanaian playwright Chief Moomen will be launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.

On the day, the launch will take place at 7:00 p.m. at its Paris Headquarters.

Based on UNESCO's General History of Africa (GHA) volumes, The Mansa World revives the continent's history as seen by Africa and African diasporas.

The show will feature original colourful costumes, live music and a troupe of 60 young African actors, singers and dancers.

By engaging interactively with Africa's past, the event aims to promote the teaching, learning and dissemination of the GHA through different means to learners of all ages and underscore the role of African youth and the creative industry in Africa in this process.

UNESCO organises the show in partnership with the Africa Group, within the Flagship Programme 2 of the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-29.

The launch will feature a grand theatrical performance as a preview to The Mansa World with a team 60 cast and crew from Ghana led by Chief Moomen, the creative visionary of the project.

The Mansa World is an initiative that is curating African history and heritage in a variety of exciting content on an unprecedented scale for global audiences.

The first in the content being produced is a spectacular 3-part epic theatrical production — with an extraordinary cast of 500—that highlights the fascination story of Mansa Musa, king of the ancient empire of Mali, within the historical context of the West African empires of Ghana, Mali, Songhai.

The launch is part of a series of engagements ahead of an official partnership between UNESCO and Bambu Heritage Productions for the promotion of The General History of Africa; UNESCO’s groundbreaking flagship programme on African history.