Throughout 2005, museums, galleries, concert halls and cinemas will be reverberating with the sights, sounds, colours, stories, art, images, textures, fashion, sculpture, photography, film, debate and discourse that will create one of the most significant events in London and the UK in years. Africa 05 is a series of major cultural events taking place in London that celebrates contemporary and past cultures from across the continent and the diaspora.
Africa 05 has been developed by Programme Director Augustus Casely-Hayford. Casely-Hayford’s vision has created a pan-organisational collaboration that sees the British Museum, South Bank Centre and Arts Council England coordinating the development of a season of events with more than forty other partner organisations across the capital, as well as some regional partners of organisations such as the British Museum.
While some events get underway in January, the official opening celebrations take place on 10 February to coincide with the opening of the stunning Africa Remix visual and performing arts events at the South Bank Centre and a major conference on African art at the British Museum.

“Africa 05 is not just a series of exhibitions and events, it’s a watershed moment in the development and promotion of African arts and culture in the UK. We are confident that the year will challenge many people’s preconceptions about Africa and will place many African artists firmly within the UK and international arts scene,” comments Programme Director Augustus Casely-Hayford.

The time is ripe for such a major programme of African culture and arts. 2005 marks the 20th Anniversary of the ground-breaking Live Aid performances; Britain will hold both the G8 chair and the EU presidency; and the Africa Commission report will be published. London will be at the centre of all this activity and the focal point for some the biggest decisions affecting the African continent in the past decade. Against the backdrop of these momentous political changes, Africa 05 will showcase the rich diversity of African culture and create a number of sustainable changes across the arts sector.

The Africa 05 programme includes the eye-popping and wonderful Hayward Gallery exhibition of African contemporary art called Africa Remix; extraordinary towering installations of El Anatsui at The October Gallery; the Sufi inspired inspiration of Rachid Koraichi; performance by pre-eminent superstar of European hip hop MC Solaar at the Royal Festival Hall; contemporary print-making from Namibia; ancient and modern at the British Museum as the oldest humanly made objects in the world - two million year old stone tools from Tanzania - go on display alongside a dramatic sculpture fashioned from decommissioned Kalashnikovs; the sumptuous indigo of Adire textiles from the Yoruba people in Nigeria; Fashion at the V&A; cutting edge contemporary crafts at the Crafts Council gallery; thought-provoking sculpture at the Horniman; conferences on subjects ranging from African culture and visual arts to architecture and developing cities; the first UK solo show of acclaimed artist Romauld Hazoume; African street festivals in Carnaby Street; and a concert by the legendary performer Baba Maal. Film is also a strong feature of Africa 05 with a number of film screenings and festivals around the capital from Black World – A Revolution on Screen at the NFT and various venues to Back to Black at the Whitechapel Gallery. The season will end in October’s Black History Month with a season of literary events that demonstrate the breadth and depth of African writing, incorporating the big names and the new, the quiet voices and the radical.

Africa 05 has the support of a number of high profile figures. Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili lent his support to the event by designing the bold and distinctive logo for the event.
Just as there are sustainable changes being brokered politically, organisers of Africa 05 want to create changes that will draw African culture into the mainstream where it belongs, and to deliver the infrastructure to make those changes permanent. One of the key aims of Africa 05 is to broaden links between arts and cultural venues and local communities. As part of Africa 05 organisers will be collaborating with over 50 community groups from across London in order to develop specific programming strands and broaden the reach of the partnerships.

“London is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world but sadly the arts sector has not always been representative of that fact. Africa 05 provides a real platform to really open doors and reach out into some of London’s diverse communities. We hope that in doing this we can create ongoing links between the art and communities,” says Casely-Hayford.

Examples of this activity include Tower Hamlets’ community arts agency, The Brady Centre, working with the local communities and the Whitechapel Gallery to ensure programming reflects and reaches into the neighbourhood.

“We hope that all our views of Africa are challenged by showcasing inspirational and exceptional work, most of which has never been seen in Britain before,” says Casely-Hayford.