Accra Arts Centre

The Accra Arts Centre, officially the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Accra, is an agency under Ghana's National Commission on Culture, mandated to promote, sustain and develop cultural and artistic excellence. It functions as the country's largest arts, crafts and cultural marketplace, and sits in central Accra off Atta Mills High Street, between the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park and Independence Square, also known as Black Star Square.

The market area lies under a large roof and is laid out as stall after stall of goods: textiles, carvings, bags, clothing, musical instruments, jewellery, beads, brass work, paintings and sculptures. Prices are negotiable. Beyond the stalls, the Centre holds art galleries and exhibition spaces, an auditorium, an open-air proscenium stage, a sculpture garden and a forecourt. Its programmes include the Pappoe Thompson Choral Festival, Kpataashie, the Sankofa Drama Competition and the Saturday Arts School.

For a visitor, the appeal is the combination of a working craft market and a cultural venue in one stop, within walking distance of two of central Accra's best-known landmarks. Artisans work on site, and some offer workshops in bead-making, painting and drumming; live drumming, dance and storytelling performances take place. Vendors may offer shipping for bulky purchases, which is worth asking about before buying anything large.

Practical points are limited by what the operator publishes. Entry is free; purchases, workshops and performances may carry separate costs. The Centre's own website lists no admission fee. Contact details published by the operator include the website cncaccra.gov.gh, email [email protected], phone and WhatsApp numbers +233 504050824 and +233 273680867, and a post address of P.O. Box AC 2738, Atta Mills High Street, Accra. Opening hours are not published in the available sources, so confirm before travelling.