2026 Black Sacred Arts conference to be held in Ghana

We are thrilled to announce that the Yale Institute of Sacred Music’s annual Black Sacred Arts Conference, which has formerly taken place in New Haven, CT, will be held in Ghana, Africa, from July 22-24, 2026. In collaboration with the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra, this promises to be an extraordinary event in a new and vibrant setting where participants can engage with the rich cultural heritage and vibrant traditions of Ghana.

Now in its fifth year, the conference has become a valuable occasion for the study of the music, ritual, and related arts of religious cultures of Africa and its diaspora. Scholars, artists, and practitioners from around the globe will gather to discuss themes central to the research of Black expressive cultures.

This year’s theme, “Religions at the Crossroads: Africa’s Creative and Spiritual Heritage,” will explore Africa’s rich and diverse triple religious heritage. Nearly 40 speakers and performers from across Africa, the Americas, and Europe will examine the ways that ritual and the arts emerge in African traditional religions, Christianity and Islam. By investigating the connections between religion and expressive culture—including music, visual arts, ritual, and other modalities—the conference aims to highlight new perspectives on the intersections of religion and the arts in Africa and its diaspora. The conference will not only highlight academic research but will further include numerous performative sessions where musicians and ritual specialists will embody the proposed themes.

Special attention will be given to the complex interactions among these traditions across religious and geographic boundaries, highlighting the liminal space where sacred and secular life intersects. Discussions will include how these streams converge and diverge into new expressive forms, the epistemologies and ontologies—written, spoken, sung, danced, drummed, painted, carved, and woven—that shape lived religious experiences, and the lasting legacy of this “triple heritage” in diasporic forms of the Black sacred arts.

We are honored that Torgbui Gideon F. Alorwoyie, esteemed professor of percussion, principal dancer, choreographer, and director of the African Percussion Ensemble at the University of North Texas, will be this year’s keynote speaker. His insights and experiences promise to enrich our understanding and appreciation of the Black sacred arts.