National Centre For Arts And Culture- The Gambia

21/08/2026

Manding Bulunda Association sign MoU with NCAC to Promote Gambian Culture and Tradition On Thursday. We highly appreciate this new addition to our network of partners.

10/08/2026

Heritage Monday:
Did you know?
Samba Soho

It’s a unique Gambian cultural tradition found in The Gambia. "Samba Soho" means the day initiates come out — the celebration of boys who have completed circumcision rites and are welcomed into manhood. It’s more than a ceremony. It’s a school of discipline, unity, and values.
Elders use this time to teach young boys about life, respect, and responsibility. On Samba Soho day, the whole community comes alive with drumming, singing, and powerful traditional dances the day is filled with:
🥁 Drumming that calls the spirit
💃 Traditional dances: Sara, Bacha Nano Mbaya, Chawracha
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families coming together to celebrate strength and unity
Sara - the standing dance where every drumbeat moves your legs
Bacha Nano Mbaya - a dance of bravery and endurance
Chawracha, Mbom Rail & Oyi Mam - moments of joy, remembrance, and final blessings from the spirits. Both men and women, young and old, come together to celebrate. It’s a day that reminds us of our roots and the discipline that once kept our communities strong. Samba Soho is ours. And it deserves to be revived and celebrated.
Photo Credit: Abdoulie Sosseh from the Kassack festival

05/08/2026

Hassoum Ceesay Is A Fellow of the British Academy(FBA)
Gambian scholarship has received a big boost with the announcement that Hassoum Ceesay, ORG, FBA has been elected as an International Fellow of the British Academy, London, UK. According to the statement published in its website, Hassoum Ceesay, a well-respected scholar and historian, has attained high international standing in the field of history and the arts. He is one of 92 scholars worldwide so honoured by the British Academy in 2026. The renowned Anthropologist Professor Lila Abu-Lughod FBA, of Columbia University, USA, Professor John Arnold FBA, Professor of Medieval History of Cambridge University, UK, and the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the Rt. Hon. Dame Keegan, KC, FBA are among the Fellows Elected with Hassoum Ceesay, FBA.
‘Fellows of the Academy represent the very best of humanities and social sciences research, in the UK and globally. Only one or two scholars a year are elected in most fields so this is a significant mark of distinction and we offer our sincere congratulations’ said Professor Susan J Smith, FBA, and President of the British Academy in Hassoum’s Election letter. The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences created in 1902.
Hassoum Ceesay, ORG, FBA has research interest and publications on various aspects of Gambian and African history especially using the genre of the biography to promote the understanding of the role of women in Gambian history and taking events and persons from the margins to the centre of our history.
Hassoum Ceesay, who is Director General of the NCAC said ‘The British Academy is the acme of scholarly recognition, and my Fellowship is more than a personal honour for my contribution to the Humanities and Social Sciences. It is also a call to duty: to continue to use the vast network, resources and fora of the Academy to sharpen the relevance of my research and publications in addressing pressing national and international challenges like women and children empowerment, poverty alleviation and peaceful co-existence.”

For more detail visit the British academy website: 92 New Fellows welcomed to the British Academy in 2026 | The British Academy

26/07/2026

22/07/2026

Politicians and policymakers in Africa are increasingly incorporating historical tourism into national development agendas. They are renewing efforts to make museums and archives central to preserving collective memory, fostering cultural identity, and promoting social cohesion, while also seeking to boost economic growth through heritage tourism.

Yet, museums and heritage institutions in Africa face hurdles, including underfunding, inadequate climate control, and postcolonial identity crises. These challenges are compounded by urbanization, community disputes over ownership of artifacts, and the struggle to repatriate historical treasures from Europe and elsewhere.

However, the main challenges limiting the growth and sustainability of African heritage institutions include reduced government funding, low visitor numbers, and a lack of both public and private patronage.

In the Gambia, the National Center for Arts and Culture (NCAC) is leading efforts to advance the country’s history and cultural heritage as part of the national development agenda.

Established by an Act of Parliament in 1989, the NCAC serves as the primary government body responsible for the preservation, promotion, and development of Gambian arts and culture. Its strategic role involves protecting cultural assets, bridging cultural heritage with national development, and fostering economic growth through tourism.

In this episode, our colleague in The Gambia, Osman Kargo, speaks with Hassoum Ceesay, historian and Director General of the NCAC, about the institution's significance and the role of history and culture in The Gambia’s national development agenda.

21/07/2026

NCAC the home of Gambian Artist Proudly nurturing Gambian Talents and Preserving Heritage.

16/07/2026

NCAC Pays Tribute To Ruth Carrol, Gambian Graphic Designer and Book Publisher
Ruth Carrol who died last week in her late 60s was a pioneer book designer and graphic artist who made the logos of many national and international organizations, says Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture(NCAC), paying tribute to Miss Carroll.

Ms Carrol was the brain behind many logos such as those for National Aids Secretariat, 1997 Zone Two Football Tournament hosted in Banjul, African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, the University of The Gambia and The Gambia Postal Services. She was The Gambian logo artist’, says DG Ceesay in tribute. ‘She set high artistic standards in her work as a logo designer and book designer. She was above all a creative of utmost talent who worked quietly but professionally, making Gambian books come out in high design quality’ added DG Ceesay.

Miss Carrol was born in Bathurst in the late 1950s and studied graphic design at the prestigious Dakar School of Fine Arts and UK and USA, before starting her career teaching arts, and then working at the then Printing Department, now GPPC, where she rose to high office level before her retirement.

In her rich career, we see how the creatives can become a full time job for Gambians, giving them the opportunity to rise through the ranks and make their mark in national development, said Director General Ceesay.

10/07/2026

Sanna B. Jarju, Director of Literature, Performing and Fine Arts and Focal Point for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has been selected to participate in the 12-month UNESCO World Heritage Mentorship Programme for African heritage professionals.

Sanna B. Jarju, Director of Literature, Performing and Fine Arts and Focal Point for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has been selected to participate in the 12-month UNESCO World Heritage Mentorship Programme for African heritage professionals.

The programme, organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, brings together selected emerging heritage professionals from across Africa to strengthen their expertise in heritage conservation, management, governance and monitoring.

According to NCAC, the mentorship programme is aimed at equipping participants with advanced technical knowledge in World Heritage governance, management systems and monitoring frameworks.

Upon completion of the programme, participants are expected to support African State Parties, including The Gambia, in effectively implementing the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

The Gambia is a signatory to the convention and currently has two sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites, and the Stone Circles of Senegambia.

UNESCO selected Jarju from a competitive pool of applicants across Africa based on his experience and expertise in heritage management.

His professional background includes serving as a national focal point, contributing to periodic reporting under the 2005 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, conducting research on intangible cultural heritage and disaster risk reduction, as well as holding advanced academic qualifications in tourism and heritage management.

During the year-long programme, Jarju will undertake studies on UNESCO conventions and key World Heritage concepts, including authenticity, integrity and intangible cultural heritage.

He will also receive training in heritage management systems, governance models, stakeholder engagement, statutory reporting procedures and the assessment of threats affecting World Heritage properties.

The programme further covers heritage impact assessments, disaster risk management, sustainable tourism management, conservation effectiveness and international best practices.

It is also expected to provide participants with opportunities for professional networking and collaboration with heritage experts across Africa and beyond.

Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the NCAC, congratulated Jarju on his selection, describing it as a significant achievement for both the institution and The Gambia.

Hassoum Ceesay said the opportunity supports NCAC’s efforts to strengthen staff capacity and ensure that the country continues to meet its obligations under various UNESCO conventions to which it is a signatory.

10/07/2026

NCAC Staff Certified Scientific Diver for Underwater Cultural Heritage
Musa Foon, Heritage Assistant at Kankurang Centre in Janjanbureh Georgetown, and staff of the National Centre for Arts and Culture(NCAC) has been certified as UNESCO Scientific Diver by the World Underwater Federation (CMAS). Musa received his certificate from UNESCO recently.
The NCAC staff told this media that he was able to come about this achievement because he has been trained by UNESCO in underwater archaeology and Diving in 2020 in Dakar, and subsequently in Turkiye and then in Cabo Verde.
‘During these trainings, I was able to excel and this has paid off in my certification as a UNESCO recognized diver’, said Musa.
He added that as NCAC staff stationed in Georgetown, CRR, he is also always exposed to water and associated heritage, adding that the island community is rich in underwater heritage such as wharves, wells and boat wrecks.
Musa commended the NCAC for exposing him to the numerous training session abroad and in-house. He also commended Government for signing the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
NCAC Director General, Hassoum Ceesay, commended Musa for the ‘worthwhile’ achievements that he says will strengthen NCAC’s capacity in living up to the expectations of the UNESCO 2001 Convention. He added that Musa skills in underwater diving will enable him partake in NCAC activities linked to the 2001 Convention such as a proposed National Inventory of Old Wells which the NCAC plans to take start soon with UNESCO support.