National Centre For Arts And Culture- The Gambia

NCAC DG handover check for D100k support to Futampaf Festival at Bwiam 27 to 29 March. Present at ceremony were Foni Kansala NAM. Hon. Gibba and Kansala Trust Chairman and NCAC senior staff.

History Corner
Question And Answers: The Gambia Legislature, April, 1950
By: Hassoum Ceesay

Preamble
The Gambia has more than 75 years of interrupted, vibrant, multiparty pluralistic democratic system. Even during the repressive days of colonial rule, when the franchise was limited to the Colony, Members of the Legislative Council, did their best, in the worst of circumstances to put Government to task for the sake of accountability and good governance. Below is an account of Q and A Session at The Gambia Legislature, April 1950.
Question
The Reverend J.C.Faye(Member, Protectorate): What provision is Government going to make in order to help our farmers in the coming rainy season which may prove a severe hungry season

Answer
The Senior Commissioner: The crop information with regard to the Protectorate does not indicate that the coming rainy season is likely to be a severe hungry season, but with the approval of Government a short term scheme for this season only has been arranged by The Gambia Oil-seeds Marketing Board(GOMB) to ensure a sufficient food supply to needy areas of the Protectorate during the rainy season. District requirements are being notified to The Gambia Oil-seeds Marketing Board by Commissioners after consultation with District Authorities. In anticipation of shortages, arrangements have been made to have 1,000 tons of food available to the Protectorate on a cash or credit basis. Government has under consideration certain long term proposals designed to eliminate the periodic shortfalls of food in the Protectorate.
Question
The Reverend J.C. Faye: (a) Why was not a Senior Service Whitley Council formed in this Colony when a Junior Service one was instituted here? (b) Is it true that there are senior Service Whitley councils in all the other West African Colonies (British) ? When does Government hope to form one here?
Answer
The Financial Secretary: The Junior Service Whitley Council was instituted in this Colony after a request from the Association of Junior Civil Servants. The Association of Senior Civil Servants was asked whether its members would wish a Whitley Council to be instituted for the Senior Service. The Secretary of the Association replied that no member other than himself and his assistant attended the meeting called to discuss the proposal. The matter was therefore dropped.
The answer to the third part of the question is that Government would consider the formation of a Senior Service Whitley Council if there was a reasonable body of opinion in the Senior Service who desired it; it is felt that the Senior Service of this Colony is too small for a Whitley Council to be properly applied to it.
Question
Seyfo Karamo Kabbah Sanneh(Member, Chiefs): Does this Government look forward this year, for the supply of mosquito nets ?
Answer
The Financial Secretary : Government is satisfied that adequate stocks of mosquito netting are and will be available on sale in shops in the Protectorate.
Question
Seyfu Karamo Kabbah Saneh: Will the Government be good enough to consider this year, an opening of a Veterinary Station, in the South Bank of the Central Division?

Answer
The Senior Commissioner: The existing centers at present located in the four Divisions of the Protectorate are considered to be the most convenient centers from which the Veterinary Department can operate with its present staff. It is not proposed for the present to open a Veterinary Station in the South Bank of the Central Division although consideration is being given to the activities of Genieri to cover animal husbandry.
Question
Seyfu Karamo Kabbah Saneh: Could the Government look forward and authorise the teaching of the Kuran, in addition to the present teaching in the Protectorate schools?
Answer
The Senior Commissioner: Where a suitable Koranic teacher can be found in the immediate neighbourhood of the village school, that school management committee usually takes steps to employ one if local funds are available for the purpose. Government policy is to encourage religious instruction to children in village schools in the religion desired by the children’s parents.
Question
Seyfu Karamo Kabbah Sanneh: What is the proportion of sugar imported in to the Gambia Colony and Protectorate allocated for sale ( in 1950 Ramadan)?
Answer
The Financial Secretary: Of 1,450 tons sugar to be imported in to The Gambia in 1950, about 50 per cent has been earmarked for the Protectorate; trading firms will be asked to release more sugar for sale during Ramadan.
Source: The Gambia Echo newspaper, 1 May, 1950.

Prominent Gambian historian Hassoum Ceesay has described the 1981 coup attempt as the most painful episode in the nation’s history, citing the heavy loss of life and destruction that followed the uprising led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang.

Speaking on the Dialectic Space podcast, Ceesay recalled how rebels briefly seized parts of the country while President Dawda Jawara was abroad, before Senegalese forces intervened under a mutual defence pact.

“It was a painful experience. Thousands died, and the Chamber of Commerce estimated at the time that about 45 million dollars’ worth of property was looted or destroyed. The government vehicle fleet was completely wrecked by the rebels. It remains a painful chapter in Gambian history,” he said.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

LOCATION: National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Head Office, Banjul
POSITION TYPE: Full Time
REPORTS TO: Director General
Grade 8 of the NCAC Payscale

The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) invites applications from qualified applicants to fill the position of Human Resource Manager.

Position Summary
Provision of Human Resources and Administrative support services.

Responsibilities
• The Human Resource Manager is the one directly in charge of staff matters.
• provides backstopping to the Director General in matters relating to the appointments and termination of staff.
• Responsible for the co-ordination of leave entitlements of staff and convey leave approvals granted by the Director General.
• Shall be required to assist the Director General in overseeing the implementation of the Centre’s recruitment policy, training programme and security system.
• Assist the Director General in preparing reports issuing correspondence bearing on the Centre’s work but mandated by the Director General.
• Advise the Director General on matters relating to staff discipline, motivation and incentives
• Work closely with the Accounting staff to ensure that staff dues, whether salaries, allowances, overtime pay or other are executed on time.
• Shall also supervise secretarial staff in the discharge of their duties and ensure the proper maintenance and upkeep of the Centre’s records.
• The Human Resource Manager will also perform such other duties as the Director General may assign from time to time.
• It will be the responsibility of the Personnel Manager to ensure that all stores including stationeries, garden equipment and other technical materials are properly accounted for and maintained, and oversees their repair and/or replacement after consultation with the Director General.
• Human Resource Manager could at the instruction of the Director General assist in budget preparation, formulation of project proposal and provide information to the press or the public in the interest of enhancing the Centre’s work and image.

Position qualifications
Education and Experience
• Candidate for direct entry to this post must have the minimum of a first degree Human Resource Management/development, organizational development or a related field
• Candidate with more than five years experience in a supervisory capacity working in an HR department or involving human and financial resource management or in management studies may be considered for the post.
• The Candidate must have considerable public relation qualities, with excellent written and oral communication skills. He should also have the ability to work well with different personality types, have initiative to solve problems and show independence of judgement.
• He/she must be computer literate and be fluent in two major Gambian languages.

Competencies

• Initiative
• Effective communication (written and verbal)
• Interpersonal skills
• Integrity and trust
• Collaboration
• Innovation management
• Understanding of others
• Approachability
• Conflict resolution
• Analytical thinking
• Problem solving

Deadline: Application should be addressed to the Director General, National Centre for Arts

NCAC Received A Team from Tanzania Parks Department on Study Tour of Best Practices in Gambian Heritage and Tourism.
NCAC feel proud that it's effort at heritage protection and management is source of inspiration for African brothers

The Committee of Kansala Trust, who organised the Futampaf Festival paid a courtesy visit to NCAC and Ministry to update them on preps for the 4th edition slated for March 27 to 29 in Bwiam. They also presented the 2025 Festival Report to the Ministry and NCAC.

NCAC’s Cultural Renaissance: 2025 Repositions Gambian Heritage at Home and Abroad

As The Gambia closed the chapter on 2025, the year was marked by renewed momentum in arts, culture, and heritage preservation. From safeguarding endangered traditions in rural communities to promoting Gambian creativity on international stages, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) achieved milestones reinforcing culture as both a national identity and a development tool.

In an exclusive year-in-review interview, NCAC Director General Hassoum Ceesay described 2025 as a year that “consolidated progress and laid strong foundations” for the future of Gambian culture under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).

Safeguarding Living Traditions

One of NCAC’s major achievements in 2025 was The Gambia’s recognition under the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The country became one of only three African nations to benefit from UNESCO’s International Assistance Programme for inventorying intangible cultural heritage.

Through this initiative, 30 communities in the Central River Region (CRR) will document 90 elements of living heritage, including rituals, ceremonies, healing practices, food traditions, and performances.

“For heritage to be protected, it must first be identified and documented,” Ceesay said. “This project will give The Gambia, for the first time, a master inventory of its intangible cultural heritage.”

Community consultations and workshops began in 2025, with fieldwork set to continue in 2026.

Gambian Artists on the World Stage

Artist mobility was another defining feature of the year. NCAC intensified efforts to ensure Gambian creatives showcased the nation’s culture abroad, in line with UNESCO conventions.

In 2025, Gambian artists performed in Algeria at the Creative Arts Nexus organized by Afreximbank, in the United Kingdom at the Yaram Arts Festival, in Senegal during the ECOWAS-supported ECOFEST, and in China, where a cultural delegation strengthened bilateral relations through performance and exchange.

“These performances change the narrative about The Gambia,” Ceesay noted. “They promote us as a country with a rich history, vibrant creativity, and strong cultural identity, while also boosting tourism and cultural diplomacy.”

Several artists also toured Europe and the United States, supported by NCAC through official attestations facilitating visa processes.

Festivals, Freedom, and Cultural Rights

At home, 2025 saw a surge in community-driven cultural festivals, reflecting growing artistic freedom and cultural rights. Highlights included film festivals organized by Gambian filmmakers, the inaugural Kunta Kinteh Cultural Week and Book Fair, and village festivals such as the Janjanbureh Kankurang and Masks Festival, Kansala International Cultural Festival, and Banjul Cultural Festival.

The celebrations peaked during The Gambia’s Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of independence, with NCAC mobilizing artists nationwide for a distinctly Gambian cultural spectacle.

“These festivals show that culture is alive at the grassroots,” Ceesay said. “They reflect freedom of expression and community ownership of heritage.”

Heritage Sites: Progress and Perils

In museums and monuments, notable progress was achieved despite persistent challenges. Under the Tourism Resilience Project, studies and designs were completed to protect Kunta Kinteh Island from erosion, improve access via a jetty, and enhance mainland heritage sites such as Maurel Frères, CFAO, and San Domingo buildings.

The government-funded facelift of the Mungo Park Memorial Obelisk was completed in 2025, transforming it into a fully serviced heritage site with fencing, water supply, visitor facilities, and a planned museum.

NCAC’s digitized oral archives and libraries recorded increased use by Gambian and international researchers, students, and scholars.

However, Ceesay acknowledged threats to heritage sites in remote areas, particularly bushfires. In response, NCAC worked with communities to establish fire belts around vulnerable sites such as the Wassu Stone Circles, a strategy to be expanded nationwide in 2026.

Funding, Partnerships, and Capacity Building

Despite financial constraints, NCAC benefited from targeted government and partner support. MOTAC backed the revamped Banjul New Year Cultural Festival, which in 2025 adopted a more inclusive and safer format. EU-supported projects provided water supply to heritage sites and funded a 10-day training program for 30 emerging musicians, covering copyright, financial management, branding, and performance skills.

Capacity building extended internally, with more than 25 NCAC staff attending international training in Senegal, Turkey, China, and beyond, covering underwater heritage management, museum studies, performing arts, and intangible cultural heritage.

“These trainings have transformed our outlook and boosted staff morale,” Ceesay said. “They bring new methods and global best practices into our work.”

The year also saw the opening of the Yunus Emre Cultural Institute in Senegambia, where NCAC played a key role. The institute now offers exhibition and performance spaces for Gambian artists while promoting cross-cultural dialogue.

Looking Ahead to 2026

In 2026, NCAC plans to mount new exhibitions at Fort Bullen and the Mungo Park Memorial, commence fieldwork for the CRR intangible heritage inventory, and expand support for community festivals using the successful Banjul model of coordination, security, and fundraising.

Another major project is the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Mausoleum. Once handed over to MOTAC, NCAC will oversee the technical work to mount a museum exhibition chronicling the life and legacy of The Gambia’s founding president.

“This is a national heritage project,” Ceesay said. “It will tell the story of Sir Dawda Jawara through objects, documents, vehicles, and personal effects for generations to come.”

As 2025 fades into history, NCAC’s work has reaffirmed that culture is not merely a reflection of the past, but a living force shaping The Gambia’s future, locally rooted, globally connected, and increasingly resilient.

Gunshot Hunting Society Awarded to NCAC Certificate of Achievement at 2026 Kankurang Festival in MaCcarthy. Congratulations to NCAC.

NCAC FORGES AHEAD WITH SAFEGURDING INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE (ICH) THROUGH COMMUNITY-BAASED INVENTORY
The National Centre for Arts and Culture has embarked on 5-day workshop to train Community Representatives from thirty communities in the Central River Region on safeguarding ICH through community inventorying. The activity which took place in Janjangbureh from 19th to 20th and in Wassu from 21st to 23rd January 2026 is part of the UNESCO funded International Assistance Project titled ‘’Building Institutional and Local Human Capacities for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.’’ The Meeting was presided over by Mr. Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture.
The scope of the project seeks to inventory in audio and video form, 90 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements from 30 communities across the Central River Region over a two-year period. The community representatives who have been trained at this workshop, will assist the NCAC in the fieldwork to inventory the rituals, social practices, festive events, performance, traditional craftsmanship and knowledge concerning healing for better preservation and transmission. The community representatives were identified by their respective communities and therefore expected to guide the NCAC to correctly describe the elements identified by the communities.
Mr. Sanna B. Jarju, Director of Literature, Performing and Fine Arts at the National Centre for Arts and Culture and the Focal Person of The Project, explained that the CRR Fieldwork will be a pilot which will later be replicated in other parts of the country. He recollected that previous activities of the Project include the Training of Trainers by a UNESCO designated International Facilitator, Dr. Gankhanani Moyo from Zambia which was followed by an awareness raising workshop for Local Government Authorities such as the ward councilors. He further dilated on the Advocacy visit to all identified communities to sought for prior, sustained and informed consent from communities as well as a radio sensitization programs with GRTS and Bansang Community Radio Station respectively.
The National Focal Person also commended the UNESCO 2003 Convention Secretariat and the UNESCO Dakar Office for their guidance and support. He also extended his appreciation to the National Commission for UNESCO Banjul and the network of ICH Facilitators for their continued collaboration.

Press Release

9th Kankurang Festival Slated For 23-25 January, 2026 In Janjanbureh(MaCcarthy)

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is pleased to announce that the 9th edition of the Kankurang Festival will take place at MaCcarthy (Janjanbureh) from Friday 23 to Sunday 25th January 2026.
The Festival is organized by the National Centre For Arts and Culture(NCAC) and the Community of Janjanbureh to showcase the Manding Masking Tradition of Kankurang, which was given UNESCO recognition in 2005. The 9th edition of the festival is strongly funded by the European Union-Youth Empowerment Project(EU-YEP) For Tourism and Creative Arts, and The Gambia Tourism Board and the government of the Gambia.
As usual Government dignitaries, and the public are invited to attend this event. The Opening Ceremony on Friday evening, and the main event on Saturday evening, will take place at Tiyansita site. The Procession of 13 cultural groups will take place along the main streets of the Island on Saturday afternoon. There will be other site events at various locations on the Island including an exhibition of Made in The Gambia products, culinary showcases and food experiences, tie-and-dye and sand painting workshops, as well as curated heritage toursAs usual Government support towards the successful event is strong. Through the EU-YEP Tourism and Creative Industries under the Ministry, supported the participation of 13 cultural groups from rural and urban The Gambia, capacity building of Food vendors, and logistics such as, branding and Visibility sound system, and lighting. The NCAC, GT Board and the Ministry have also contributed funds and services towards the event. The Inspector General of Police, Director General of Prisons, The Gambia Fire and Rescue Services and The Gambia Red Cross Society have been mobilized to support with security and safety of the festival goers.
This strong support from Government and its agencies shows the high level of commitment towards cultural preservation and youth mobilization towards building a culture conscious society for national development and creating economic opportunities for youth and women.
The 9th edition comes in the wake of the inscription by UNESCO of Historic Georgetown(Janjanbureh) into the UNESCO Sites of Memory Associated with Slavery in 2025, which puts the Island community firmly on the map of culture, and Memory.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture expresses its sincere appreciation to the European Union for its continued and valuable support to The Gambia’s tourism and creative industries, which is contributing to cultural preservation, youth empowerment and sustainable economic development across the country