Herefordshire Council’s cultural services learning team has brought together local and international artists to celebrate some of the many cultural traditions of Africa.

Destination Africa is a programme of events from Friday, February 12 until Tuesday, February 23, and will include workshops in the county’s libraries and museum sites.

Events range from a bellydancing session at the Museum Resource and Learning Centre in Hereford, an author recounting his solo trek across Africa, as well as workshops for children to dance, paint their own tee-shirts, create wall-hangings and make kangas. There will also be storytimes on an African theme available in some libraries and a competition running thoughout February where people could win a wonderful cuddly elephant family.

Two of the flagship events will be the Cultural Roadshow attending Leominster Leisure centre on Saturday, February 13, where families are encouraged to make their own African art and the Heritage Open day on Tuesday, February 16, at the Museum Resource and Learning Centre in Friar Street, Hereford. Here people will have the opportunity to see some amazing museum artefacts from Africa, peek behind the scenes and there will also be dancing and painting workshops running.

In addition groups from a number of playgroups are being invited to special stories with Anansy, an African storyteller in some of the county’s libraries. There are also artists working in partnership with schools on African projects, including Aaron Meli who is working with John Kyrle High School on some drumming workshops which will hopefully lead to a performance in Ross Library.