Africa may be lacking in some areas but creativity isn’t one of them. African creativity has continued to evolve with time and has witnessed significant growth and expansion in the last decade. As riveting as this may sound, the truth remains that a myriad of these talents remain hidden as inadequate platforms exist to project them to the world. At Access Bank, we have continued to highlight the best Africa has to offer with our strong support for creativity and innovation. We partnered with CNN to showcase the best of African talents through the Avant-Garde series with a focus on music, art, fashion, and film.

We are committed to retelling the African narrative from a poverty-stricken continent to one that houses one of the brightest and creative minds in the world. Gone are the days when we relied on foreign artists, filmmakers and designers for quality and captivating content. Africa, more than ever, has become self-sufficient in these areas and a platform such as Avant-Garde aims to drive these talents to a global stage.

The stories are told using strong multimedia storytelling techniques, capturing the richly inherited African culture passed down from generation to generation; and telling tales that date back to the pre-colonial and post-colonial era. The TV series features the likes of Amoako Boafo, a Ghanian painter whose works have become the most talked-about collections of the Spring-Summer 2021 menswear season. Also is Nigeria’s Oye Diran whose works largely mirror the heterogeneous cultural heritage that abounds in the country.

While commenting on this initiative, Herbert Wigwe, MD/CEO of Access Bank stated thus: “At Access Bank, we have always been committed to driving innovation, supporting African creative talents, and retelling the African story. We are excited to partner with a global media house to let the world know that there is so much to celebrate in Africa. This partnership is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment and resolve towards changing the narrative and we are confident it will yield tremendous impact”.

For decades, we have shown support for creativity, which has been reflected in our string of sponsorships such as BAFEST, Art X Lagos, AFRIFF, Access The Stars and other platforms promoting African creativity.