New home for contemporary African culture and heritage in London

Thursday 9th of June to Sunday the 12th of June 2022 was a momentous occasion, filled with joy, warmth, and community. The new home for contemporary African culture and heritage opened to the public and it was encouraging to see the excitement of many people from diverse backgrounds as they explored our new flagship building on Great Suffolk Street in Southwark, London.

We are aware that the hard work begins now as we start reaching out and welcoming our diverse communities into our new space. However, it is equally important that we pause briefly to thank and acknowledge everyone that has supported on so far and will hopefully continue to walk with us into the exciting new chapter of our journey. Our architects Freehaus, interior designer Tola Ojuolape, building contractor, QOB Interiors, and our brand designers, Mam’gobozi Design Factory all did a phenomenal job and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. Not forgetting, of course, all our staff, trustees, and key stakeholders who also worked very hard to ensure that we delivered on our bold vision for the most welcoming cultural space in London.

The grand opening

Among the hundreds of people who attended the opening ceremony were previous directors and trustees of the Centre, leaders of peer organisations, community groups, members of the public, and representatives of some African High Commissions.

Notable guests included multimedium artist Yinka Shonibare, CBE RA; novelist Chibundu Onuzo; sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp, CBE; and the director of Tate Modern, Frances Morris. The guest of honour was Sonia Boyce OBE RA, whose relationship with The Africa Centre goes back almost 40 years to when she was part of the Five Black Women exhibition (alongside Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Houria Niati, and Veronica Ryan) in 1983. She cut the ribbon alongside Lord Boateng.

Programmes and Events

As we move forward, the focus is now on developing exciting and impactful programmes that are aligned with the interests and expectations of our communities. We will soon start consulting with all key stakeholders to get their input on some of the things that they would like to see in our incredible new space. In the meantime, you can look at some of the events we have coming up. You can also stay up to date via our newsletter and social channels

Whether you’re looking for a home away from home, rich in African culture, heritage, and community, or you are seeking more knowledge and information about Africa and its global diaspora, The Africa Centre is the perfect place.

Our new pan-African restaurant, Tatale at The Africa Centre, opened on 14 July 2022 with a limited service, which will be expanded soon. Tatale is a contemporary Pan-African restaurant concept, that tells stories through food, art, and culture. After over a year of experimenting with dishes at pop-ups and festivals, the highly anticipated restaurant opens with an exciting menu that represents founder Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s own Pan-African lens. You can reserve a table here.

Visit Us

If you’ve not had a chance to visit us yet, please do pass by as we would love to show you around and tell you about all the exciting things that we have coming up.

Press

Below are links to some of the press coverage that we have had regarding the opening of our new home:

The Guardian

The Standard

Okay Africa

The Guardian

WallPaper

Camden New Journal

New African Magazine