About

The research explores the intersection of cultural heritage, performance arts, and the reanimation of Ghanaian and West African cultural artefacts through the lens of "Freedom Walks." The project investigates how the medium of performance can breathe life into static objects, reviving their cultural, historical, and artistic significance. By employing processional performances, the research aims to animate and narrate the cultural journey undertaken by these artefacts. This journey is not merely a physical one but a symbolic representation of the artefacts' historical trajectory, cultural significance, and artistic richness.

The research project examines the intersection of cultural heritage and performance arts, seeking to discover how performative acts of imaginative return can contribute to the development of creative practices of artefact restitution. By examining the intersection of performance and material culture, the research examines the artefacts' stories and roles in vernacular cultures of performance, allowing them to transcend their static state and be emancipated as vibrant conduits of cultural, historical, and artistic significance.

The research will also analyse how performance art disrupts conventional spaces and extends conversations beyond the confines of traditional spaces and academic circles. Through case studies at the Horniman Museum, analyses of artefact records, and my artistic interpretations, the research aims to uncover the potential of public art performances to foster understanding, empathy, and meaningful discussions among diverse audiences.

This practice-based research project will employ a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on theories and methodologies from the fields of performance studies, anthropology, art history, and cultural studies. Through an extensive literature review, creative research, and analysis of existing performance practices, the research will identify new modes of practising performance as an act of decolonisation and investigate the diverse ways in which this might restore, re-animate and liberate artefacts from Ghana and West Africa.