AWADGLOBAL BACKGROUND
AWADGlobal has been a registered charity since 2000. It emerged from the 1999 international conference of African Women’s Arts & Cultural Heritage, which was a collaboration between MamaToro and The British Council in Manchester, UK. It’s success resulted in the formation of the charity organisation named African Women’s Arts Culture and Development International Network (AWAD International Network).
The charity developed and delivered ground-breaking African Cultural Arts projects that impacted and influenced mainstream organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors in global development especially education, health and environmental concerns across England and Europe.
Several years ago, the organisation evolved and was renamed AWADGlobal.
In November 2021, the new leaders and management committee were invited and re-joined AWADGlobal to assist in revamping the organisation to build on past work achievement and legacy as there is no other platform representing and presenting authentic African women’s cultural arts heritage. Similarly, no other platform that could serve and enable UK-based grassroots African women cultural artists to have a voice, access and participate fully in arts and cultural heritage arenas. Since then the work begun slowly and not without huge challenges.
The charity has mobilised and built leadership capacities among disadvantaged grassroots African women, fostering their confidence and providing platforms for empowerment. Through its delivery of groundbreaking projects, AWADGlobal has created opportunities to help these women adapt the cultural arts knowledge and skills they brought to England for their social and economic integration. Similarly, AWADGlobal has reached out to mainstream organisations, working in partnerships and collaborations that have challenged and enhanced their practices. These efforts have significantly impacted and influenced public, private, and voluntary sector organisations, particularly in global development areas such as arts, education, health and environment across England. Since its inception, AWADGlobal has collaborated with museums, galleries, educational institutions, industries, and health organisations to challenge and extend diversity and inclusion policies and practices across Europe.
Our vision
To promote, preserve and deepen the understanding and appreciation of African women’s cultural arts heritage, highlighting their influences and impacts on global design, production industries and communities.
Mission
To make African women’s cultural arts heritage accessible, understood, appreciated and preserved for communities to enhance their lives and knowledge.
To collaborate with mainstream organisations, museums, higher institutions and industries with historical archive collections to promote this heritage.
To correct the misperception, misinterpretation and mislabelling of African women’s cultural arts objects in the archives of mainstream museums and galleries, ensuring a clearer understanding and deserved respect.
To empower grassroots African women, helping them recognise the contributions they can make to society through their cultural artistic knowledge and experiences, affirming their African identity and improving their community’s well-being.
Values
To ensure that the role of arts, culture and heritage positively impacts the quality of life, fostering understanding and care for this heritage.
