summer at Aba House

After months of planning we approach our first ARTIST RESIDENCY. It has been quite an undertaking working with people on 3 continents & getting everything lined up.I often wonder what people did before email and SKYPE.
Cross Cultural Collaborative working in collaboration with Ghana Art Teachers Association - Ghana Association of Visual Artists and Afro Dance & Creative Arts will sponsor a visual arts exhibition called "Ghana Life:A Cultural Reflection" at the National Centre for Culture in Accra.
And as part of the exhibition we will offer workshops on traditional & contemporary art techniques and traditional African dance and drumming.
Participation in the exhibition has closed, but sign up for workshops is in progress, so if you're going to be in Ghana and are interested, let us know (aba@culturalcollaborative.org) and we'll send you the schedule.

Wherever you are this summer we hope you have a peaceful and creative summer.

summer in Ghana

We'll be there from July 6 - August 29. We always have several projects and this summer I plan to concentrate on "Books by Girls", a creative writing program with the Aba House girls. Our goal is to encourage creative thinking and by self publishing the stories our girls will also learn computer skills.
Our plans include donating the books to schools in Ghana so that students can read culturally relevant
stories.

                      Here is an excerpt from my book "HARDSHIPS and GOODSHIPS in GHANA"
       There is a rythm to life in Ghana, both literally and metaphorically, and once you get into step, you
        fit right in. It's difficult to explain, but it's something you can feel. The people, the traffic, even the
        fishermen who are sometimes accompanied by drums as they pull in their nets. Weavers hum as  
        they work to keep the rythm ....... it's a slow dance. "No hurry in life". No straight lines. To follow
        the beat it's best to circle around, do a few back steps and slide right in. Then visitors start to
        dance...........

 Like to dance? Think about joining us in Ghana.  aba@culturalcollaborative.org
       

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!

Greenie's blog

Greenie is a teacher from Chicago,USA who was with us in Ghana last summer and she is coming back.

She kept a much more detailed blog than we did, so I am listing it here in case you'd like to get an idea of what a summer is like at Aba House.

http://kidconnections.wordpress.com