When scholarship meets the real world, results can be incredible. The African Urbanities group held its Third African Urbanities Summer Institute in Accra, Ghana, hosted by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana between the 22nd and 30th of September 2023. The University of Ghana is one of the collaborating Universities in the project Entanglement, Mobility and Improvisation: Culture and Arts in Contemporary African Urbanities and its Hinterlands. Other Universities in the project include the University of Pretoria (South Africa), Makerere University (Uganda) and The University of Cape Town (South Africa). As per the previous Summer Institutes, postgraduate scholars and early career academics were expected to present their research works on the research project. However, this year’s host, the University of Ghana, sandwiched this academic adventure in between a series of interesting real-world experiences, some of which were attention-grabbing. The purpose of these real-world experiences was well-etched within the main objective of the project, which includes, getting to experience and understand the urban and its relation to its hinterlands.

First was the trip to Elmina Castle at Cape Coast, it was an eye-opener to many who have only read about the Transatlantic slave trade that took place in Africa. This trip to Elmina Castle felt like the closest one could get to the real-life experiences of our African ancestors. Over 3 million Africans were sold to the West via Elmina Castle and through the Atlantic Ocean. On the bank of the Atlantic Ocean is the edifice of the castle erected and protected with canons. The tour of the building, which was built over 500 years ago was informative as the tour guide furnished us with interesting information. One of the highlights of this tour was the fact that this building was home to slave traders and the same time, to missionaries who had their churches right inside the slave castle. This was an amazing eye-saw. Another interesting experience was our tour of Kakum National Park at Cape Coast where our resilience as researchers was put to test.

The academic work sessions were no less interesting and thought-provoking. Fifteen (15) academic papers that deal with different discourses as to how African cities and their peripheries house and engage the mobility of various forms of cultural and artistic imageries were presented by early career scholars. Keynote speakers, Prof Takyiwaa Manuh and Dr Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang also took us on interesting academic rides further strengthening the core aim of the African Urbanities project. In a nutshell, Kampala, Accra, Nairobi, Pretoria, Lagos, their hinterlands, and digital spaces are some of the cities and non-cities spaces whose cultural and artistic components were represented in these presentations. It was an enriching experience.

At the other end of the ‘sandwich’ was another ‘real-world’ trip through the city of Accra, seeing popular streets like Oxford, and Osu. It was another interesting ride. Lastly, was a visit to Ashesi University where scholars meet the real world of popular culture. There was a welcome entertainment by a live band, followed by a tour through its art gallery. These ‘real- world’ trips did not only cement scholarly engagements that took place during the week, they have also served as beautiful precursors to the forthcoming fourth edition of the African Urbanities Summer Institute, scheduled for 2024 in Cape Town.