In memory of Mrs. Adipah

A wonderful lady who some of our visitors met. We're not sure how old she was,but if not 100,very close. She'll be missed and remembered fondly. As a Krobo,beads were very important to her, as you can see in these photos.

A few more photos from fundraiser

 Imani demonstrating Africican headwraps- Benkadi drummers and dancers - and friends of Cross Cultural Collaborative having a good time

WE DID IT

We did it. We had a fantastic fundraiser. Raised money for the Aba House kids and danced the night away. Lots of donated food, vendors with a variety of interesting things for sale, a silent auction, an African headwrap demonstration, a wonderful young reggae singer and a good time was had by all.
Let's see what we come up with next!

Azonto

The latest dance craze...everyone was doing it. Abayaa,the drummer in the middle, brought his group to Aba House. One of the wonderful things about Africa is that everyone's invited to dance...no age discrimination. Erica (in orange shirt ) was so good that Abayaa invited her to join his group. We'll have to wait awhile for that. She's 8 years old and, somehow, I can't see her parents letting her go to Accra for rehearsals.

A few close ups of quilt

Leslie memorial quilt

 Our friend and volunteer Leslie died unexpectedly March 20, 2010. Some of her Aba House friends contributed both financially and creatively to create a memorial quilt. It was completed this summer by Louise Mabess, a British quilter. Many of the children at Aba House added a square...even Talk True got creative.
Our thanks to everyone.

potters in Ghana

At Aba House we encourage creative interaction. Each summer we bring people from around the world to work with Ghanaian artisans. Many disciplines are explored. This summer one group will focus on African pottery.
For a visiting potter being in Ghana is like letting a kid loose in a candy store. There is so much to sample. Ghana has 10 regions and each has it's own pottery traditions.
Michael Cardew, a well know British potter, worked in Ghana from 1943-1948 establishing a workshop at Vume. Vume is still a thriving pottery center and on our list of places to visit.

Here is a link to a story I wrote years ago when I went to study with Mami Akua. This traditional village is still on our itinerary. http://www.studiopotter.org/articles/?art=art0011

It is encouraging to see the pottery tradition continued, although on occasion one encounters plastic shopping bags where pots once sat.

Are you a potter or interested in traditional African pottery? You can sign up for our (infrequent) mailing list at http://www.culturalcollaborative.org and we'll keep you informed about our workshops.

Here's the cover of our book. It's on the way to the printers.
It's hard to put into a catagory. A little autobiographical, a little informational, and a lot of observations by Ellie about her 30 years in Ghana. It came partly from all the orientations for new arrivals at Aba House.
After being in Ghana a few days visitors think they've got it all figured out. They don't.

To pre-order a copy contact aba@culturalcollaborative.org

Cost of book is $15.00. Free shipping in the USA if you mention this blog.

All proceeds from sales go to educating the Aba House kids.

Puffin Grant

We are happy to announce that we have been awarded a 2012 Puffin Foundation Grant to continue our work in Ghana this summer. This grant was awarded to fund our project in Nungua which will help connect local artisans and tourists visiting our village.

We are looking forward to a productive summer!

Textile workshop in Ghana

July 8 - 21 ,2012

Memories of Africa Textile Workshop

sponsored by Cross Cultural Collaborative

This is an opportunity to work with indigenous African artists at our cultural center in Ghana.

Learn African textile techniques, visit traditional textile villages, go to large outdoor markets, galleries, museums and much more.

Please go to:

http://www.culturalcollaborative.org/textile2012.pdf

for details. If there are any questions : aba@culturalcollaborative.org