Post-colonial heritage represents a significant yet largely overlooked cultural asset in Aného, with the potential to drive a repositioning of inherited colonial narratives by transforming the way these historical sites are perceived, interpreted and used.
"Ancestral Shift" takes up this challenge through the MHiVAA - Musée d'Histoire, du Vodou et des Arts d'Aneho, a community museum in development, housed in a 1905 Afro-Brazilian house, used as a pilot site replicable across the city, Togo and West Africa.
At its core, the project reintegrates inclusive co-creation workshops with local communities and youth associations, combined with hands-on training in heritage restoration that draws on local materials, traditional knowledge and indigenous construction techniques. Around this, artist residencies, exhibitions and performances co-produced with EUNIC members foster Africa-Europe mobility and bring the heritage to life, while professional training, mentoring and conferences on post-colonial narratives strengthen local actors and open international dialogue.
Beyond the preservation of buildings, the project stimulates cultural production, revives technical craftsmanship and reconnects younger generations with their heritage — turning post-colonial heritage into a living resource for social inclusion, cultural expression and sustainable local development
