By: Kingsley Attitsogbui| Ho
The maiden edition of the Kente Weaving Expo has been launched in Ho, the Volta Regional capital on Friday, August 25th, 2023 to promote, preserve and protect the Ghanaian cultural heritage.
The event, on the theme; ‘Celebrating our Cultural Brilliance and Achievement of craft Practitioners’ is slated from November 27 – December 2, 2023 at the Volta Regional Center for National Culture to showcase Kente cloth from Volta, Ashanti and Northern regions.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of T.Y. Kente Travel & Tour, Mr. Thompson Yao Avornyotse, organizers of the event, the designs of kente cover every part of Ghanaian culture, encompassing proverbs, parables, and figurative expressions, among other elements.
“Considering the critical role that kente weaving plays, it is our solemn duty to protect and preserve this heritage for generations to come while also showcasing its importance on the global stage.
The kente cloth not only makes the body beautiful but also vividly portrays history, moral values and aesthetic principles, evoking a sense of pride. Beyond this duty, our objective is to spotlight the skills of the weavers, delve into the historical significance underlying each kente design, and present a diverse array of kente fabrics” he said.
A Development Practitioner, Dr. George-Grandy Hallow, who delivered the keynote address said the Kente cloth continues to epitomize the grace, dignity, and sanctity that exemplified the excellence of African culture.
He said the Kente’s status is not only as the quintessential fabric of Africa but also as a unifying force for the entirety of the black race.
“Six and a half decades ago, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, along with his comrades, dressed in their beautiful Kente smocks, boldly declared Ghana’s independence. Sixty-six years later, Kente endures as our identity, our philosophy, and as a medium for documenting our cherished values. Throughout these sixty-six years, Kente has persistently acted as a vessel of symbolism and the most profound expression of our collective identity” he explained.
Mr. Gabriel K. Katamani, Chairman of the occasion urged residents of the Volta Region to embrace the maiden edition of the event in promoting culture, unity and socio-economic development.
The event is in collaboration with the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) , Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Exports Promotion Authority, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Global Artisan, National Folklore Board, WAREE and Nana Becky Tandoor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) African Studies and Culture.
It was attended by Traditional leaders, academia, industry players, among other stakeholders.
Source: www.ignewss.com|Ghana