Rethinking the Narratives of the African Diaspora

14 Jul - 03 Aug 2026

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Abena Busia, Ghanaian writer, scholar and diplomat, is undertaking research during her artistic residency at Casa Mísia for the Diaspora Heritage Project. Conceived as a long-term, multidisciplinary initiative, the Diaspora Heritage Project aims to develop an international, interactive curriculum exploring the historical and cultural connections forged across the Atlantic between Ghana, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Suriname and Guyana. Beyond the history of the transatlantic slave trade, the project focuses on the cultural heritage of the African diaspora, including architecture, visual arts, music, dance, language, sacred rituals, gastronomy and dress.

During her residency in Lisbon, Abena Busia will conduct research on sites of memory associated with the African presence in Portugal, while engaging with researchers, cultural institutions and specialists in the fields of education, culture and tourism. This residency forms part of the project's first phase, dedicated to establishing international partnerships, mapping tangible and intangible heritage, and consolidating the international team responsible for developing the curriculum.

The project's ultimate goal is to create an international educational programme, complemented by study voyages and immersive digital resources, designed for educators, museum professionals, heritage guides, cultural practitioners, researchers and policy makers. By fostering new ways of interpreting the legacies of the African diaspora, the project seeks to contribute to a more inclusive understanding of the shared histories that connect the different regions of the Atlantic world.

Taking place from 14 July to 3 August, the residency at Casa Mísia represents a key stage in this research process, providing the opportunity to deepen the study of the historical relationships between Portugal, West Africa and South America, while strengthening the international network of collaboration that underpins the development of the Diaspora Heritage Project.

Abena Busia is a writer, poet, diplomat and professor. She teaches in the Departments of English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University. She served as Ghana's Ambassador to Brazil from 2017 to 2025. Throughout her career, she has delivered numerous lectures, workshops and masterclasses for UNESCO and other institutions on gender studies, race and the African diaspora. She has received fellowships and awards from organisations including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. She is also a founding board member of several international organisations, including the Center for Women's Global Leadership, the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), and AWDF-USA, where she served as Executive Chair. In addition, she is one of the three co-directors of the project and editors of the award-winning four-volume series Women Writing Africa, published by The Feminist Press between 2002 and 2008.