Woven in Wa

About

Woven in Wa is a digital living archive of the woven textiles made by crafts-women in Wa, Upper West region of Ghana. Documenting the work of individual artisans as well weaving associations, this is a growing library of patterns and products.

Our goal is to further collaborations between the weavers and artists/designers from Ghana and internationally. Products can range from tapestries, garments, homeware and more. Our current guest designers include Chrissa Amuah of AMWA Designs in UK, House of Stole in Ghana and Assemble from UK, as well as conversations with Vienna University of Applied Arts.

This website is a collaboration between the Nubuke Foundation (Ghana) and Assemble studio (UK), made possible by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund.

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Nubuke Foundation

Nubuke Foundation is a visual art and cultural institution based in East Legon, Accra, Ghana. Founded in 2006, it serves as a nexus for arts and culture across the country while supporting the artistic practice of Ghanaians: young, mid-career and experienced. We work to make the appreciation of art, culture, heritage and history accessible to all. The artistic programming includes exhibitions, readings, talks, film screenings, performances, seminars and workshops for the culturally curious. Nubuke Foundation was awarded the Tourist Attraction of the Year 2016, by the Ghana Tourist Authority (Greater Accra Region).

Nubuke Foundation’s three mission pillars are “record, preserve and promote” working towards the primary goal to create greater accessibility for all to African art, history, and tradition. Programming at the Accra space ranges from exhibitions, workshops, screenings to performances, partnering with creatives across Ghana and Africa to provide interactive, fun, and educational spaces for people of all age groups.

In Wa, Nubuke Foundation’s  Centre for Textile and Clay located in Loho is primarily concerned with the facilitation and promotion of weaving techniques by the communities in Upper Wa and the surrounding vicinities. As part of Nubuke’s design intervention and upskill initiative for weavers in the region, Nubuke Wa is fostering innovation, accessibility, and stronger industry practices for weavers through training and mentorship.

The space is also where Nubuke’s annual Woori festival is held. Woori, meaning to weave in Wala (one of the widely spoken languages in Wa), also acts as an opportunity to project the region’s rich weaving history and explore ways to bridge gaps between the community there and stakeholders such as designers (fashion, interiors), artists, sculptors and creative who employ textiles in their practice.

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Assemble

Assemble is an arts studio and collective working across art, architecture and design, based in London, UK. Assemble delivered a diverse and award-winning body of work, whilst retaining a democratic and co-operative working method that enables built, social and research-based initiatives at a variety of scales – from furniture and textile objects to buildings and art exhibitions. Assemble was awarded the Turner Prize in 2015.

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