A Feeling of Belonging

Cloth is more than something useful or beautiful, it can also have enormous power. We are surrounded by fabrics of meaning and belonging, fabrics that tell us who people are and where they come from if they share a nation, a clan, a school or a religion with us.

This episode explores the ultimate textile with a message – a flag. One commentator calls flags a kind of window onto history that can link people across time and anchor them to their communities. In this podcast, we look at one particular type of flag, the joyful Asafo flags from Ghana’s coastal region. These are works of art with a particular history that tell the stories and reflect the culture of the Fante people in a special way. We talk to an Asafo flag maker about his craft, to a collector of these flags, and to someone who is helping to breathe new life into the creation of Asafo flags.

If you go to Haptic and Hue’s website at www.hapticandhue.com/listen, you will find a full transcript of this podcast, and pictures of some of the glorious ASAFO flags – both modern and historic. You can also sign up there to get these podcasts directly in your inbox, and to have a chance to win some of the textile-related gifts I give away with each episode.