Ghana’s biggest annual street art festival, Chale Wote, is just around the corner, with the main event set for August 2024. Preparations are already in full swing, and the organizers, ACCRA [dot] ALT, along with Redd Kat Pictures and the Chale Wote Street Art Projekt, have opened up applications for artists who want to join the celebration this year.
This thirteenth edition of the festival is themed “And Now An End To The Empire Of Horrors,” taking inspiration from Africa’s rich history, particularly the tales rooted in the Gulf of Guinea. Chale Wote 2024 will focus on these fascinating stories of gods and mortals, which serve as powerful allegories of the social conditions shaped by brutal colonialism.
The festival will dive deep into the history of the Gulf of Guinea, exploring its origins, its decline, and the current revival of long-forgotten sacred practices. Through art and entertainment, Chale Wote will showcase a variety of narratives about this rebirth in the most spectacular ways.
If you’re an artist with at least two years of professional experience and a strong commitment to your craft, you’re welcome to apply. You don’t need formal art education—self-taught artists with consistent experience are encouraged to apply as well.
Artists can propose works in any medium, with no restrictions on form or content. The organizers are looking for innovative pieces that demonstrate a deep understanding of contemporary art, craft, or design. Importantly, all proposals should be site-specific, tailored for the Osu metropolitan area during Chale Wote 2024.
Your concept could be anything from an intervention, live performance, installation, video, photography, painting, sculpture, performance art, theatre, dance, or even a new form you’ve imagined. The key is that the work should be suitable for public spaces and engage both intentional and incidental audiences.
In line with their passion for art education, the organizers are also interested in works that can be adapted into workshops or knowledge-sharing sessions for children and youth during the festival.
The one-week festival will run from Monday, August 19, to Sunday, August 25, 2024. Selected artists will need to have their works ready between August 10 and 18, so everything is set for display from the start of the festival right through to its grand finale.
