Kwame ‘Write’ Aidoo (Ghana, 1986) is a writer, artist and cultural manager with a background of biochemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana. He has pursued International Culture Management at Leuphana University, Germany and a year’s course in Swahili at Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, France.
His poetry is influenced by West African oral folk lore in tandem with experimental contemporary forms like fast paced recitals to question sociopolitical contexts and conceptual standards, exploring how the constructs of science can be interrogated with the liberties of art.
He is the founder and creative director of Inkfluent; a poetry and art crux which organises a collaborative festival called Nkabom, based on how literature is affected by the arts. Aside artists, Nkabom connects marginalised communities, persons with disabilities and children. Inkfluent also partners with the Ghana National Theatre to organise students poetry slam events.
Outside Ghana, Inkfluent co-directs Tsale Lekema street art festival in Lome, Togo and partners with art institutions to produce performance art projects with focus on projecting a meaningful African narrative.
Kwame is the executive producer of Vocal Portraits, which has released three editions of audio poetry compilations to resound vibrant voices in Africa and the diaspora projecting diverse backgrounds, influences and cultures. This year, the creative movement applies experimental film making with poets, musicians, dancers and local communities.
He was long-listed for Golden Baobab children’s literature awards in 2014, and is the author of Ananse makes Aurora, which came with Aurora Ekvatorialis- a collaboration with Norwegian artist Toril Johannessen, consisting of an Ashanti-symbol inspired neon light installation powered with upcycled car batteries which showed at Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo in 2016.
Kwame does art, music and cultural journalism work for Culture Trip and MusicInAfrica[dot]net and mentors on digital storytelling during his free time. He curates poetry intervention lectures and language festivals for high schools, example Lycée Français d’Accra Jacques Prévert.
The artist has performed in parts of West Africa, Europe and Brazil. His most current work which was shown at Copenhagen Jazz Festival and yet to be performed at Accra’s Chale Wote Festival is Queue to the Tap Dance; a historiographical, scientific and spiritual mapping of water, bodies and percussion using poetry, sounds, visuals and sculpture.
Kwame likes to travel to find bits and pieces of himself and likes spending time with his daughter.
Links to Kwame’s work.
Poetry