The British Council Ghana supported two Ghanaian creatives to participate in prestigious international fashion and literature opportunities in the United Kingdom in August 2026.

The beneficiaries were Awura Abena Agyeman, Co-founder and CEO of WEAR Ghana and Republic of Africa, and Emma Ofosua Donkor, writer, cultural curator and Founder of the All-African Women Poetry Festival.

The opportunities formed part of the British Council Ghana and the UK Government’s commitment to strengthening cultural relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom through investment in the creative economy, cultural exchange, market access and international collaboration. The delegates participated in programmes designed to create long-term partnerships, expand professional networks and showcase Ghana’s creative excellence on global platforms.

Before their departure, the delegates engaged in a series of high-level engagements in Ghana, including courtesy visits to the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, as well as a range of media engagements aimed at highlighting the significance of the opportunities and the growing influence of Ghana’s creative sector internationally. Upon their return, the delegates are expected to pay a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner to Ghana.

Showcasing Ghanaian fashion on a global stage

Through the British Council’s Creative Growth Programme, Awura Abena Agyeman participated in Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) 2026, which took place from 17 to 23 August 2026. The opportunity brought together selected fashion entrepreneurs from across Sub-Saharan Africa for industry networking, skills development, peer learning and market access opportunities. AFWL was recognised as the United Kingdom’s largest annual fashion event dedicated to African and African-inspired design.

During the programme, Awura showcased her work to international buyers, media organisations, fashion influencers, investors and industry stakeholders, positioning Ghanaian fashion within global conversations around creativity, entrepreneurship and cultural innovation.

Awura Abena Agyeman was a fashion entrepreneur and creative industry leader whose brand, Republic of Africa, had become an influential platform for celebrating African identity, creating jobs and promoting home-grown talent. A Mandela Washington Fellow and multiple award nominee, she had been recognised among Ghana’s Top 50 Young CEOs and had collaborated with institutions including Harvard Business School and New York University.

Building international literary and cultural partnerships

Emma Ofosua Donkor was selected for Momentum 2026, an international literature delegate programme that took place in Edinburgh during Scotland’s world-renowned festival season. Anchored within the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Momentum brought together cultural leaders from around the world to develop lasting partnerships with Scotland’s literature sector and the wider international cultural community.

The programme was designed to foster collaboration, strengthen professional networks and create opportunities for future partnerships between cultural institutions, festivals and creative practitioners across countries.

Emma Ofosua was an acclaimed writer, cultural curator, performance poet and literacy advocate. She was the author of I Wish You Courage in the Night Season and Founder of the All-African Women Poetry Festival, a British Council and UNESCO-supported platform that amplifies the voices of women poets from across Africa and the diaspora. Through her work as Managing Editor of Hadithi Magazine and creative lead of Tuniq Africa, she continued to champion cultural entrepreneurship, literary development and African storytelling.

Strengthening UK-Ghana creative collaboration

The British Council believed that international cultural exchange played a vital role in supporting the growth and sustainability of Ghana’s creative economy. Previous participants in similar programmes had secured international collaborations, funding opportunities, business partnerships, publishing relationships and expanded market access across the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.

The participation of Awura Abena Agyeman and Emma Ofosua Donkor reflected the strength, diversity and global potential of Ghana’s creative sector. Their selection provided individual professional development opportunities and created pathways for wider knowledge exchange, industry collaboration and institutional partnerships that benefited Ghana’s fashion, literature and cultural ecosystems.

This was the second time Ghanaian creatives attended these events. The first, under the Momentum delegation in 2023, was represented by Dr Martin Egglewogbe, the creative director of Pa Gya Festival and president of the Writers Project of Ghana, while Edna Asherlina Darkwaa, the founder of Ometsey, a fashion brand in Ghana, attended the 2025 edition of Africa Fashion Week London.

As Ghana continued to position itself as a hub for creativity and cultural innovation in Africa, the opportunities demonstrated the value of sustained international collaboration in advancing the country’s creative industries and expanding global recognition for Ghanaian talent.