In the Akan language of Ghana the word Sankofa acts as an everyday instruction to 'go back and get it', when something has been forgotten and left behind. But it is also a powerful word to trigger memories, both personal and collective, where the past can be found in the present. It has found many interpretations in film, literature, art and song, such as LA Rebellion film-maker Haile Gerima's 1993 film Sankofa. The Creating Interference network, in association with CREAM, explores the resonances of this potent word in a programme of contemporary and archival film and video works. Led by the artist Barby Asante and film-maker, curator and DJ Rabz Lansiquot, this evening of films and discussion rethinks Sankofa as a social, collaborative, transformative process of interruption and disruption.
The Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) is recognised as the UK's leading centre for research in visual and media arts, design and music. We are based in the University of Westminster’s College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries.