The historic town of Tutu in Ghana’s Eastern Region is set to become a beacon of cultural preservation and international cooperation with the launch of the “Tutu Wɔ Bi Ka” Heritage Centre, the latest milestone of the Unfolding Cultural Heritage (UCH) project.

The UCH project is an innovative Ghana-Italy partnership that aims to preserve and reimagine intangible cultural heritage, including oral storytelling, drum language, and folklore traditions, through art, research, and community collaboration.

Funded by Regione Puglia, Italy, and coordinated locally by ArtLife Matters Ghana, the project connects Ghanaian communities with international partners to ensure that heritage remains a living, shared resource for future generations.

Launched in collaboration with the lead partner Ramdom and the Library and Museum Centre of Lecce, Italy, the project has unfolded in Tutu with a unique emphasis on grassroots participation. Artists, researchers, and community elders collaborated to collect, archive, and reinterpret local traditions.

The centre showcases:

• A multilingual picture book (Akuapem Twi, English, Italian), telling a tale of a missing hunter, drum language, and a historic map of Tutu.
• Field recordings and community soundscapes are available both onsite and online at www.artlifematters.org/uch/tutu.
• Three vibrant community murals that celebrate Tutu’s enduring cultural identity.

“Our heritage lives not only in monuments, but in stories, rhythms, and collective memory,” said Eric Agyare, Director of ArtLife Matters. “This project is about creating a space where the past can converse with the present, and where local voices can resonate on a global stage.”

Luigi De Luca, Director of the Library and Museum Centre in Lecce, Puglia Region, emphasised the importance of exchange.

“Unfolding Cultural Heritage demonstrates how art can be a bridge across continents. By sharing tools and stories, we are not only safeguarding culture but also reimagining it together with the communities who live it every day.”

The new Heritage Centre is envisioned as a living archive and cultural hub. Beyond exhibitions, it will host workshops, research exchanges, and digital documentation projects, ensuring that Tutu’s rich traditions remain dynamic and accessible.

Project partners believe this model can be replicated across rural communities in Ghana and beyond, connecting local oral histories with global digital platforms and bridging generations through storytelling.

“This is more than heritage preservation, it’s cultural sustainability. It gives future generations the tools to embrace their roots while engaging with the world,” noted Kizito Amartey, representative of the National Commission on Culture (NCC).

Through UCH, Tutu now stands as a powerful example of how communities can reimagine tradition not as something frozen in time, but as a living, evolving practice that strengthens identity and resilience.

Unfolding Cultural Heritage is funded under Regional Law 20/2003 – “Partnership for Cooperation” – Public Call 2024 by the Puglia Region, Department of Economic Development, Section for Research and International Relations.