I’ve lived on the outskirts of Southampton, in Eling, since 2002.
But I was born in Buipe in northern Ghana.
My early life was steeped in traditional music and culture – my father was a drummer and herbal doctor.
When I became unwell, I was sent to a children’s home in Tema.
It probably saved my life, but it also made me aware of how easy it is to lose parts of yourself like your birth language and your roots.
I grew up immersed in music, storytelling and the wisdom of herbal medicine.
After leaving the children’s home, I studied at Ghanatta College of Art and was later selected to be the artist-in-residence at Ghana’s National Centre for Culture in Kumasi.
That gave me the chance to reconnect deeply with the Akan traditions I had been separated from.
I ran my own Black Africa Gallery, supported local artisans and worked on creative and environmental projects with street children and schools.
I started African Activities when I arrived in the UK in the early 2000s, and we became a Community Interest Company in 2018.
The idea was born from a surprising discovery: despite growing up in a former British colony and knowing so much about English history, culture, nursery rhymes and fairy tales, I found that many people here knew little about Africa – and what they did know was often wildly inaccurate.
I remember watching my daughter’s end-of-term drumming performance.
The drums were held incorrectly, and the rhythm and sound were so distorted it had to be sung twice before I even recognised it.
Yet when I’d offered my skills to local music services, I was told I needed a European music degree, something that wouldn’t have prepared me to teach African drumming anyway.
That mismatch told me there was a gap that needed to be filled, not just in knowledge but in perspective.
That’s why I started African Activities.
We offer authentic cultural experiences led by African and Caribbean heritage artists across the UK.
We work primarily with schools but also with festivals, community groups and businesses, delivering immersive workshops in drumming, dance, storytelling, textiles and visual arts.
Alongside this cultural education, we support Black artists across the UK with training, mentoring and practical help.
I believe it’s important to make people more aware of the richness of African culture because so much of it is unseen and misrepresented.
People often talk about Africa only in terms of poverty or struggle.
But it’s a continent of profound beauty, artistry and knowledge.
We have deep roots in Ghana.
Our Traditional Skills School in Buipe is a place where artists can learn, create and elevate their incomes.
It’s also part of a wider vision: we want to offer alternatives to the dangerous journey many young people take towards Europe and instead provide spaces of growth and pride at home.
We’re also rewilding 35 acres of land there.
Rosewood is being illegally harvested at an alarming rate, but no one is growing it (in part because the CITES treaty means it can’t be legally sold).
We’re trying to change that, though it’s not easy.
In 2023 our nursery was flooded, and a wildfire devastated the rewilding grounds.
But we keep going.
We’ve started collaborating with the New Forest National Park, sharing best practices in land use like controlled burns and river restoration.
The landscapes are different, but the challenges and solutions are surprisingly similar.
I think that as a city, Southampton tries hard to provide a broad range of cultural experiences and engage with its diverse population, but unfortunately a lot of what’s done is reactive.
Groups like Our Version Media and United Voices of African Associations are doing incredible work, yet they often struggle to attract funding.
We really enjoy working with lots of partners across the city.
A particular favourite is the Mela festival.
This summer we’re also giving a workshop at Tapestry Festival at Westquay and we’re looking forward to taking our Nightjar exhibition across the city.
We’re also excited to be back at the Black Businesses, Art and Music (BBAM) Festival in October – a shining example of culture in Southampton.
The Nightjar project links the New Forest and the forests of Buipe: two places where this elusive bird flies.
You’ll find her popping up across Hampshire, especially at the Mela Festival.
We’re excited to share a different side of ourselves, explore themes of dual belonging, and celebrate our shared ecology through art and storytelling.
- Brought to you with Southampton Forward