Woori Festival — Weaving a sustainable future

THE city of Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana is set to host the Woori Festival, an annual event that celebrates the rich heritage of Ghanaian weaving and textile design from Friday March 1 to Sunday March 3, 2024.

Organised by the Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay in Loho, Wa, this year's festival will be held on the theme: ‘Weaving a Sustainable Future for the Next Generation.’ It focuses on the transmission of cultural heritage and the promotion of sustainable artistic practices to safeguard the future.

Woori is a Wali expression meaning ‘weaving’. Since its inception in 2021, the Woori Festival has celebrated the long-standing weaving and pottery traditions in the Upper West Region. It has helped bring more attention to their hardworking artisans and given them the opportunity to increase their production and sales.

The Nubuke Foundation is a private visual art and cultural  institution based in Accra. Founded in 2006, it serves as a connection for arts and culture across the country while supporting the artistic practice of young, mid-career  and experienced Ghanaians.

This year’s Woori Festival 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.

The festival 

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.

They will focus on traditional and contemporary weaving techniques, sustainable practices, and innovative textile design.

The weavers participating in this year’s Woori 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.

Arts exhibition 

An art exhibition showcasing a diverse range of woven fabric and textiles designs by weavers, fashion designers as well as tie-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. There will be panel discussions, thought-provoking conversations featuring artists, cultural historians, fashion designers and environmentalists talking about 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 Madam Odile Tevie, Director of the Woori 2024 Festival.

Partners and sponsors include Waa Naa, Loho Naa, Centre for National Culture, Young Female Influencers, PEPS-C, University of Applied Arts (Vienna), Dr Hilla Limann Technical University and the local community of Wa.