Liverpool was one of the first cities in the country to receive much needed manpower (and womanpower) from the Caribbean nations. In 1947, a whole year before the arrival of the famous HMT Empire Windrush, the SS Ormonde docked directly in Liverpool where several people gladly settled and made lives for themselves. Known for their contribution to hospitals, transport, and dock work, the Caribbean influx of culture enabled Liverpool to regain its world-class hub status.  

 

The Northwest UK city is also the home of the first noticeable black community in Europe. Because of its accepting, tolerant, and fair community spirit, people from abroad found it amicable from as far back as the 1700s. With the heavy trade centred around the docks and the neighbouring Lancashire-based industry, it was clearly beneficial to have links to sunnier climates with all the produce that can be brought in.  

 

According to The Times, the Africa Oyé Festival is not only the largest, it’s also the best African and Caribbean culture festival on these hallowed shores. It’s got a long-standing history of its own, with its roots reaching back into 1992. It’s grown in scope, size, popularity, and fame year on year thanks to its unchallenged roster of black and related talent that performs for happy festival people from all over. This year you’ll get the same thing, DJs, performers, and pop stars will all be among you to treat you to their skills.  

 

Sunday best sees the Grammy-nominated Fatoumata Diawara. Having fled Mali at aged 19, she’s found a home in the UK and we are very glad she did. A famous guitarist and singer, Diawara blends indigenous Wassoulou music with contemporary jazz, folk, and funk. Her music can be fun, and it can also be deep, she isn’t afraid to go into issues such as FGM and forced marriage.  As these practices are illegal in Britain, highlighting their reality is important for understanding the pressures people face. 

 

Nigerian artist Patoranking makes his debut appearance in Liverpool, too. He won the MTV Africa Music Awards so is bound to be red hot on stage. He was also listed in Forbes Africa 30 under 30 2020. That’s not something to take lightly. With over a billion YouTube streams, and hit songs such as Babylon, Kolo Kolo, and My Woman My Everything, he’s bound to pull in a fantastic crowd.  

 

Another debut performance for Africa Oyé Festival is the first Black British woman to get to number 1 in the UK with a reggae song. Janet Kay entered the Guinness Book of Records with her hit single Silly Games. It’s almost a bookie favourite that she’ll play it on the Sunday. These are just some of the dozens of artists who will be making your weekend as memorable as it is vibrant, colourful, and easy going. There will be hundreds of stalls, all things Africa and Caribbean, plus lots of your usual stuff too.  

 

Here’s the line “The Africa Oyé festival will take place on 20th and 21st June 2026 in its Grade 1-listed, 200-acre home of Sefton Park – the largest open space in Liverpool.”  

 

Are you going? Tickets and official information

In its fourth year, the Egyptian art festival that takes place at the feet of the Pharoah's resting place, Forever Is Now showcases some of the best contemporary art the region has to offer. As the inspiration arises from the creativity of their ancestors, and the constant influx of ideas from around the world, a moment of awareness is made material by trusted artisans who best represent the movement.  
 
As the cartography of the sand can change overnight and the patterns nature designs can reveal stunning novelty and inventiveness, the output of the day’s artists can shift and fold over on itself as various ideals and motivations make themselves known, needed, and open for exploration. For the first time in the Forever Is Now open-air exhibition, Asian participants have been included in the roster of talent to showcase their ideas and messages.  
 
The artists have been given the setting and the wealth of imagery it entails to work with, and as usual they have not let Egypt down. In their clever and intuitive reflections of the culture, aspects of the ancient civilization meet the modern day as locals and visitors can enrich themselves in the extra layers of transient time. Autumn is a great time to visit Egypt, as the summer sun has fallen back, temperatures are more reasonable. Africa is famous for being hot before anything else, so exhibiting the world’s talent during the milder months makes a lot of sense.  
 
The painstakingly produced and thought-through work of fourteen internationally renowned artists have made the cut to be exhibited this year. These include sculptures, paintings, and installations. A partially submerged chariot by Khaled Zaki, stylistically designed with a steel interpretation of a struggling horse, a clay constructed Vessel of Time by Jean-Marie Appriou, multicoloured hieroglyph temples adorned in ancient Egyptian and Modern-day Korean scripts by Ik Joong-Kang, and many more intriguing and surprising displays are situation in the UNESCO heritage site.  
 
As Egypt has been playing a role in reducing tensions between Likud in Israel and Hamas in Palestine, both of which want to destroy each other's culture, the nation’s tourism has suffered genuinely because of this. Polarised minds from both sides will see Egypt as a thorn in the side of the agenda when it comes to ironing out the creases and putting a stop to the senseless and murderous campaigns of both parties. A nation as ancient as Egypt, with its fair share of ups and downs, can stand proud and experienced in the field of international politics. We should listen to ancient cultures, especially ones that have been so successful. Although there are only a few days left for this year’s Forever Is Now exhibition, we can assume that next year will see something just as grand and equally as inspiring. Maybe it’s a good time to visit the land of sand and Pharaohs. 

​Via The Guardian

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It’s not clear when the centre will be finished, however the contracts have been signed. A well-known institution, The Shelburne Museum has recently unveiled its plans to build a $12.6m art centre especially dedicated to the Indigenous community. Built to represent over eighty unique North American tribes, bands, and peoples, the building is to be encapsulated by award-winning architect David Adjaye.
 
Carrying the name of a long-term resident of Vermont and a notable benefactor to the museum, the Tony Perry Centre for Native American Art will be a permanent home to a growing and rich collection of gifted and professionally purchased pieces. In the spirit of the culture, the building is to be made completely sustainably with as many renewable products as possible. The iconic interpretations of various woods and stones will be taken into proper consideration when defining the shape, structure, and positioning of the building. A keen eye for detail will ensure the Indigenous people of North America will have a building they can tell stories about.
 
Born in Ghana, a long way from the skyscrapers of the United States, David Adjaye has already established himself as a virtuous designer of modern buildings. His outsider’s touch has enabled him to build fantastic yet practical monuments to modern living. Recently working in Washington DC, Adjaye was enlisted to design the National Museum of American History and Culture. Indeed, David Adjaye is a busy man, as he’s been head-hunted to expand the Studio Museum in Harlem and the International Financial Corporation Headquarters in Dakar.
 
We are sure it’s no problem at all to have so many projects on the go at once and that each one can be surpassed with exceptional quality. The people of the North American Indigenous Community surely deserve plenty more spaces dedicated to their masters, what’s in a Picasso that isn’t in a work from an equally as enlightened Native American?

​Via Art Forum
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