HIS MAJESTY THE KING WILL VISIT THE AFRICA CENTRE
Thursday 26th January 2023
The King will visit The Africa Centre, where His Majesty will hear about the role the Africa Centre plays in connecting Africans in the UK to the global diaspora on key issues. His Majesty will view Our Story: Africa’s Climate. This art exhibition by emerging artists illustrates the effects climate change is having in Africa. His Majesty will also tour the centre’s recently launched new premises and meet The Africa Centre trustees, members of staff and invited guests.
The Africa Centre is a UK based charity which has been championing the cause for Africa and its diaspora since its formation in 1961. With an original remit to foster non-governmental relations between newly independent Africa and Britain, The Africa Centre’s mission today is to educate, connect, and advocate for Africa and its global diaspora. It is a ‘home away from home’ for Africans in the UK and a warm and welcoming space offering authentic African heritage and cultural experiences to anyone with an interest in Africa. Its mission rests on Five Pillars of activity: Culture, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Community, and Intellectual Leadership.
Originally located on King Street in Covent Garden for over five decades, The Africa Centre launched its new headquarters in Southwark in June 2022. The charity’s new flagship building is a 1960s former office block that has been beautifully transformed into a new home for contemporary African culture and heritage. It houses a pan-African restaurant on the ground floor, a bar on the first, art gallery on the second, and a temporary event space on the third floor. The third and fourth floors will be fully completed in a later second phase after additional funding has been secured.
Our Story: Africa’s Climate Exhibition (10th November 2022 – 13th February 2023) A group exhibition made up of works from emerging African artists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. It seeks to highlight the impact of the climate emergency in Africa through photography, illustration, and collage. The ramifications of the exhaustion of Africa’s natural resources have made themselves ever more present across the years. In 2020 alone we saw life-threatening floods in Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and other East African countries. Despite contributing the least to global warming, Africa is currently most vulnerable to its dangers.
The exhibition consists of four artists (Antoinette Oni, Chioma Ince, Mihayo Kallaye and Ngadi Smart) and is curated by Haj Fanta. Acting as a cultural hub, The Africa Centre is highlighting the urgency of this issue and the environmental and economic inequality around its impact on ordinary Africans. Through its programming it hopes to build and foster critical dialogue on how Africa can build a sustainable future.
