Contemporary arts and indigenous arts-based tourism in West Africa

Allanso, Clive; Novelli, Marina

Abstract

Contemporary arts in West Africa are becoming increasingly dynamic, challenging the perceptions previously imposed by colonialism on what constitutes or should be regarded as art, culture, heritage, creativity, etc. The emerging discourse uses local and international tourism as a mechanism for cross-cultural education and knowledge exchange, community development and as a vehicle to give voices to local indigenous communities. Research undertaken in the early part of 2022 in Nigeria and Ghana highlighted that Indigenous artists are increasingly becoming a reckoning voice for their respective communities and environments. Their arts are used as a vehicle to highlight the plight for specific causes and, through techniques such as those using ‘objet truvés’ or forms of bricolage, they are poised to challenge myths and stigma sometimes perpetuated by Western colonised closed mindsets into an understanding of the creative, developing function of arts at grassroot level. In this way, the artists and their arts potentially become ambassadors for Indigenous culture and thus are used to educate, showcase talent, change perceptions, rejuvenate society, and represent indigenous voices, challenging perceptions of poverty, beliefs, sexuality, amongst many others and fostering a shift in mentality and mindsets of those visiting and/or being visited.

Citation

Allanso, C., & Novelli, M. (2025). Contemporary arts and indigenous arts-based tourism in West Africa. In R. Butler, & A. Carr (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Tourism and Indigenous Peoples (381-394). Taylor & Francis (Routledge). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003230335-34

• Online Publication Date: Aug 30, 2024
• Publication Date: 2025
• Deposit Date: Sep 30, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 1, 2026
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 381-394
• Book Title: The Routledge Handbook of Tourism and Indigenous Peoples
• Chapter Number: 29
• ISBN: 9781032136547
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003230335-34
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/40253882
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003230335-34/contemporary-arts-indigenous-arts-based-tourism-west-africa-clive-allanso-marina-novelli
• Related Public URLs: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Tourism-and-Indigenous-Peoples/Butler-Carr/p/book/9781032136547?srsltid=AfmBOorg-OMof2LhQviw6ofbEjD8WgPdlilEDT_DmpzoSBkoFUZjpbJ6
• Other Repo URL: https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/publications/contemporary-arts-and-indigineous-arts-based-tourism-in-west-afri