Unfolding Cultural Heritage is an international cooperation project between the region of the Greater Accra (Ghana) and Salento (Italy). It provides for residencies and exchanges, training and co-design workshops, activities between experts of culture and artists, institutions, networks and local communities focusing on the re-emergence of intangible heritage and on new narratives through the arts.
It represents the first piece of the collaboration between the society of artistic production and social promotion of Ramdom APS, with its head office being KORA – Contemporary Arts Center, in Castrignano de’ Greci (LE); Artlife Matters LGB, a Ghana-based organization in Accra, which promotes art as the tool of social, cultural and economic development; and the Library and Museum Centre of Lecce, headquartered at the Castromediano Museum and Bernardini Library in Lecce. The protocol of intent aims to foster cooperation and intercultural dialogue through joint planning, with a focus on strengthening the skills of professionals working in museums and libraries to enable continuous exchanges. The arts and various forms of expression will serve as tools for interpreting both tangible and intangible heritage, and for promoting sustainability values. The project ultimately aims to raise public awareness of civic responsibility, international solidarity, respect for nature, peace, and the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
The first phase is dedicated to capacity building, networking, and co-design, carried out through online meetings addressed to public and private organisations, cultural and creative professionals and cultural operators active in cultural planning, international cooperation and social innovation. The modules are as follows;
May 28th –9am (GMT) / 11 am (CET )
Speakers:
Luigi De Luca – Director of Library and Museum Center of Lecce
Paolo Mele – Director of Ramdom and KORA – Contemporary Art Center
Eric Agyare – President of ArtLife Matters
Topic: The framework of Ghana-Salento agreement: opportunities for institutional and private organization
May 29th – 9am (GMT) / 11 am (CET )
Speaker: Luigi De Luca – Director of Library and Museum Centre of Lecce
Topic: Cultural Sustainability and Inclusion: The Role of Museums in Shaping a Universal Future
May 29th – 9am (GMT) / 11 am (CET )
Speaker: Ada Facchini – Librarian at Ramdom/KORA – Contemporary Art Center
Topic: Libraries in the preservation and transfer of cultural heritage
June 4th – 9am (GMT) / 11 am (CET )
Speaker: Paolo Mele – Director of Ramdom and KORA – Contemporary Art Center
Topic: Hybrid Models: museums, libraries and contemporary art
June 11th – 9am (GMT) /11 am (CET)
Speaker: Leandro Ventura – Director of Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (Italian Ministry of Culture)
Topic: Identification and Validation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Communities
June 16th – 9am (GMT) /11 am (CET)
Speaker: Paolo Mele – Director of Ramdom and KORA – Contemporary Art Center
Topic: Artist Residency (Why residencies, and a Global perspective)
June 19th – 9am (GMT) /11 am (CET)
Speaker: Maristella Martella – Dancer and Choreographer of Tarantarte Atelier
Topic: Ethno-Contemporary Dance
June 27th – 9am (GMT) /11 am (CET)
Speaker: Donato Epiro – Composer and Musician
Topic: Traditional and Contemporary Music: Ogni Altro Suono
11th July 9:00 (GMT)/11:00 (CET)
Speaker: Elisa Monsellato – Coordinator of ICOM Group in Puglia
Topic: Community Engagement (Instruments, activities, and case studies)
14th July 9:00 (GMT)/11:00 (CET)
Speaker: Antonietta Pignataro – President of Huipalas Kenya Foundation, Kijiji Village, and Library and Museum Project
Topic: Research on Territories and Community Engagement
18th July 9:00 (GMT)/11:00 (CET)
Speakers: Claudio Zecchi – Artistic Director of Ramdom and KORA – Contemporary Art Centre
Topic: Research on territories and community engagement
22nd July 9:00 (GMT)/11:00 (CET)
Speakers: Eric Agyare and Selected Ghanaian and Italian Artists
Topic: Unfolding Cultural Heritage Residence in Ghana: Activities and Artworks
Pending Schedule
Topic: Kora_extended and Cutrofiano Museum for Accessibility
Â
Pending Schedule
Topic: Digital Libraries and Digital Archives
Â
Pending Schedule
(Details to be announced)
Art Residency in TutuÂ
The Unfolding Cultural Heritage Art residency, organized by Artlife Matters, was successfully carried out in August in Tutu- Akuapem, Eastern Region of Ghana.
The residency brought together a diverse collective of artists, including a Ghanaian children’s book illustrator and publisher, alongside Italian collaborators in illustration and sound design. Together, they explored innovative ways of communicating intangible heritage to contemporary audiences through shared research, creative exchange, and community engagement.
Over the course of the residency, artists worked closely with the Tutu community to document and reinterpret folklore—historical tales, proverbs, oral performances, and the unique language of the talking drum. These cultural traditions, which go beyond entertainment, were highlighted as legacies passed down through generations and vital to Tutu’s identity.
The residency not only strengthened intergenerational connections but also fostered new collaborations between Ghanaian and Italian creatives, paving the way for continued dialogue on heritage preservation, sustainability, and global cultural exchange.
The outcomes of the project were audio-visual materials for a digital archive, a published project book for children, a collective mural, and a Heritage Centre in Tutu to celebrate these traditions.
