The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has put together a list of the most creative cities in the world having considered all the attributes of a cultural hub, and five cities around the world have been identified as home to thriving local creative scenes that are worthy of international attention.
While the list features cities like Mexico City, Belgrade, Sharjah and Bangkok, only one African city makes the cut and that happens to be the West African city of Dakar, capital of Senegal.
Dakar’s mention as one of the world’s most creative cities is, for a host of reasons, well-deserved.
With its opening in December 2018, The Museum of Black Civilizations, Dakar has become one of the most talked-about and visited places in Africa and it’s home country Senegal. This 150,000-square-foot, circular structure holds breath-taking displays that cut across various centuries and continents, some of which include “Cradle of Humankind,” “African Civilizations: Continuous Creation of Humanity” and “The Caravan and Caravel.”
Its mission is to regain the majority if not all of the looted artefacts taken from Africa.
For several years, the city has played host to several global cultural festivals like World Festival of Black Arts, Biennial of Contemporary African Art, St Louis Jazz Festival, Dakar International Neighborhood Film Festival, World Festival of Negro Arts, International Book Fair of Dakar, and Dakar Arts Festival. And according to the BBC, the city is set to become the first African location to host the Youth Olympic Games slated for 2022.
The BBC report has it that Dakar is a “hotbed for the nation’s new generation of artists, designers, and students.” And with famous personalities like painter Kassou Seydou, writer Mohammed Mbougar Sarr, fashion designers Selly Raby-Kane and Sarah Diouf of Tongoro, the brand responsible for some of Beyoncé’s amazing looks, making up some of the heavyweights in this category, it’s easy to see why the BBC thinks highly of the city.
The Senegalese capital is famous for several other prestigious museums and art centres like the Cécile Fakhoury Gallery, House of Slaves, Léopold Sedar Senghor museum and Raw — a cultural centre for “art, knowledge, and society.”
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