CONCEPT NOTE FOR THE COLLOQUIUM/EXHIBITION ON: AFRICAN ROCK
ARTS AND THE PAN-AFRICAN RENAISSANCE, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA MAY
22-24 2013
1. INTRODUCTION
The Rock Art and Pan–African Renaissance project is focused on the reconstruction
of Black and African peoples’ history. It encompasses historic pictorial coverage of
some unique rock paintings across Africa and a colloquium. Through extensive
research and study, the presence of Rock Art Sites has been established across
Africa.
Findings revealed extensive
distribution of
Rock Paintings in
the
predominantly rocky areas of East, West, South and Central Africa as well as the
Sahara.
A landmark platform on research findings on African heritage in line with CBAAC’s
Pan-African mandate took off effectively at the African Rock Art meeting held in
Nairobi, Kenya between 23rd and 24th May, 2006. This was under the auspices of
CBAAC and TARA (Trust for Rock Art – a Kenya based NGO, in whose custody
some of the historic photographs on African Rock Art are kept.). The second phase of
the Rock Art workshop project held from 20th to 23rd of January, 2007 in Nairobi,
Kenya. A two day workshop on African Rock Art and Pan-African Renaissance also
held from the 11th – 14th March 2008 in Niamey, Niger Republic.
These workshops sought to provide opportunity for experts to discuss the best
strategies and approaches to study and better understand methods for the
identification, safeguarding, interpretation and promotion of African Rock Art as well
as its preservation and conservation to the benefit of Africa and Africans. A major
resolution of the 3rd Workshop was the need for a concrete follow-up action by
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243, Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822, Fax:
251-11) 5519 321Email: africa50@africa-union.org
participants and stakeholders. The communiqué also requires that the theme of the
Workshop should be revisited as may be necessary.
It is against this background that the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
through CBAAC and the African Union Commission desire to extend the frontier of
global understanding of African history and culture, using the platform of the African
Union and key provisions in the Niamey Communiqué as a take-off point, CBAAC is
seeking to further action on the African Rock Art project with a Colloquium and
Exhibition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in May 22-24 2013 as part of the activities to
mark the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of African Unity and African Union
OAU/AU.
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the colloquium include:

Providing a platform for updating research findings on African Rock.

Sharing experiences on the successful application of strategies for managing
Rock Art sites across the continent.

Promoting information sharing and networking among participants to enhance
capacity among others.

Raising the consciousness of a critical mass of key stakeholders on the
project

Examining the possibility of reconstructing African history and civilization
through Rock Art. Paintings, engravings etc.
3. EXPECTED OUTCOMES

To use African Rock Art to inspire creativity;

To generate publicity for the output of the project and diversity of African Rock
Art;

To have the results disseminated and adopted by the African Union and
UNESCO;
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243, Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822, Fax:
251-11) 5519 321Email: africa50@africa-union.org

To develop strategies and action plan for the protection of Rock Arts sites;

To enhance the protection and utilisation of Rock Art sites by communities on
sustainable basis.
4. TARGET PARTICIPANTS
Organizations involved in the study of Africa history, such as: UNESCO; Regional
Centre for Research and Documentation on Oral Traditions and the Development of
African Languages, CERTODOLA, Cameroun; African Union Centre for Oral
Tradition and History (AU-CELTHO), Niamey; Trust for Africa Rock Art, (TARA),
Kenya; Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA), Maputo; African Academy
of Languages (ACALAN), Mali; National Comm. for Museum & Monuments, Nigeria;
National Museums of Kenya; Africa Desk of World Heritage Centre (WHC); African
World Heritage Fund; Rock Art Department, Witwatersrand University, South Africa;
Representatives of Cultural agencies from Africa and the Diaspora, the AUC;
Documentation Services professionals; University Scholars, Linguists, Archaeologists
and anthropologists, Artists and allied key stakeholders in the culture industry among
others.
5. VENUE AND DATES
The Colloquium and Exhibition on Rock Art and Pan-African Renaissance will be held
at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 22 to 24 May 2013
as part of the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU.
6. LANGUAGES
The Languages to be used in the Colloquium will be English and French.
7. EXHIBITION ON AFRICAN ROCK ART
The Rock Art Exhibition will comprise of images of Rock art from East, South, West
and North Africa. Africa has the greatest variety of rock art and some of the oldest
rock art in the world. There are various sites in Algeria, Tanzania, South Africa,
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243, Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822, Fax:
251-11) 5519 321Email: africa50@africa-union.org
Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, amongst other. Everywhere you look you have rock art
paintings dotting the entire landscape of Africa. Some present as Graffiti in caves,
hills, surfaces, walls of buildings and on stones. The most outstanding of these
varieties of rock art presentation are those found on Basille stones at Ikom sites, in
Nigeria, popularly called Ikom Monoliths. These drawings were made on stones, and
some extinct writings of Africa, like the Nsibidi, have been identified on these
Monoliths. The Crucifix (Cross) was also identified, dating as far back as 1.3 million
years. Researchers are of the opinion that the originators of this skill were migrant
Bantus of the Congo Basin. The language of the writings found on the Monoliths are
being studied. This language research reveals, is still being used by members of the
Calabar Ekpe Secret Society. The history behind the Ikom Monoliths is being
unveiled piecemeal as researchers investigate the origin of this genre of rock art and
originators of the language.
The exhibition will be showcased from 22 to 24 May 2013 at the AUC Headquarters
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
8. CONTACT PERSONS
Contact persons for the Colloquium and Exhibition on Rock Art and Pan-African
Renaissance are:
1. Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Prof Tunde Babawale- Director General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and
Civilizations (CBAAC), Lagos, Nigeria – Email: tunde_babawale@yahoo.com cc
gekpeisu@yahoo.com; ibraheem_muheeb@yahoo.com
2. African Union Commission
Ambassador Olawale Maiyegun, Director for Social Affairs African Union Commission
Email: MaiyegunO@africa-union.org; cc: MartinsA@africa-union.org;
NadjaldongarK@africa-union.org; NtayeA@africa-union.org
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243, Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822, Fax:
251-11) 5519 321Email: africa50@africa-union.org