The King visits the Africa Centre

 

The Africa Centre is a UK based charity which has been championing the cause for Africa and its diaspora since its formation in 1961. With an original remit to foster non-governmental relations between newly independent Africa and Britain, The Africa Centre’s mission today is to educate, connect, and advocate for Africa and its global diaspora.

The centre provides a  ‘home away from home’ for Africans in the UK and a warm and welcoming space offering authentic African heritage and cultural experiences to anyone with an interest in Africa. 

Originally located on King Street in Covent Garden for over five decades, The Africa Centre launched its new headquarters in Southwark in June 2022. The charity’s new flagship building is a 1960s former office block that has been beautifully transformed into a new home for contemporary African culture and heritage.

His Majesty viewed the exhibition Our Story: Africa’s Climate Exhibition during his visit. The group exhibition is made up of works from emerging African artists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania and seeks to highlight the impact of the climate emergency in Africa through photography, illustration, and collage.

Despite contributing the least to global warming, Africa is currently most vulnerable to its dangers. Acting as a cultural hub, The Africa Centre is highlighting the urgency of this issue and the environmental and economic inequality around its impact on ordinary Africans. 

This is His Majesty's second Africa Centre engagement: in 1988 he officially open the ‘Zimbabwe Contemporary Stone Sculpture Exhibition’ at The Barbican.