Location:

Accra, Ghana; Ho, Ghana

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Graduate

Term:

Winter Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Winter Session: December 28, 2016 – January 9, 2017

In this 11-day intensive cultural immersion course, students will be introduced to a wide range of topics related to African culture, philosophy, and daily life. Students will live in the scenic coastal village of Kopeyia, receiving hands-on instruction from local artists in drumming, dancing, singing and a variety of arts & crafts. Through studio classes and interaction with families, artists, chiefs and governmental art institutions, students will perform, analyze, construct, critique and demonstrate their acquired skills in these various African artistic mediums.

The group participates in traditional festivals, visits local schools and markets, and observes daily life in the village. In the capital city of Accra, we visit the world famous live music clubs, sample local cuisine, tour the workshop of a master drum maker, and participate in an exclusive performance-workshop with the internationally acclaimed National Dance Company of Ghana. All of this will help to put into historical and cultural perspective the similarities and differences between African traditional and popular culture, engendering a greater understanding of both indigenous and contemporary artistic expressions in West Africa.
 

Cost:

$2,450 program fee includes: • lodging for all 10 nights • all meals and bottled water for 1 week • 25 hours of instruction • complimentary use of international mobile phone • all major in-country transport • select cultural events • automatic complimentary enrollment in West African Rescue Association, a private air/ground ambulance service • 3 UMass Amherst credits (undergraduate or graduate)