The year 2007 marked two important dates for the UK’s relationship with Africa: the bicentenary of the Abolition of Slave Trade Act and the 50th anniversary of independence for Ghana. Throughout the year events and projects took place across the UK, challenging the British public to reflect on these points in history and the influence of African culture in the UK. To compliment this activity, British Council felt it was vital to work with Africa to fully explore how our collective history has informed our present and will continue to shape our future.

In September/October 2007, 15 musicians and artists from across sub-Saharan Africa descended on London to work together with artists from the UK. They were given these dates in history as a starting point for discussion and allowed the space to consider their personal and collective thoughts and feelings on these issues and how they relate to their lives today. From this starting point a number of new pieces of music with accompanying visuals were created and then performed in the UK and across Africa.

Documentary footage providing a window into the thoughts, reflections, and feelings of the artists during this collaboration can be viewed at the Bring the Noise myspace site. In often personal and candid interviews the artists speak of their struggle to find common ground and how working together has forced them to challenge and reassess the way they view Africa, fellow Africans and the UK. The work they created during their time together covers many complex and contentious issues facing Africans today covering topics such as modern forms of slavery, the struggles for the African diaspora living in the west, misunderstandings and xenophobia between Africans and the call for Africa to unite! Read more about this project, tell us what you think or simply become a friend on our myspace project page.