Inspired by ‘Nana Buruku’ a revered supreme deity in West Africa and now celebrated across the world following the migration of African people to new lands. A mother goddess, Nana Buruku is an older, wiser woman – she is a calm, benevolent, grounded representative of the earth, always acting with dignity and gentility.
The puppet is made using natural materials – bamboo, cane, raffia. Her beaded skirt is inspired by African percussive instruments; as she moves, the beads collide to create percussive sounds. Her bow will be batiked and hand painted using natural dyes and reflecting patterns and textiles across the African continent and in particular designs from ABC wax – textiles designed in Tameside, Greater Manchester for Ghana.
Nana can be acompanied by a solo Dancer and Flag bearer wearing costume drawing influence from traditional African dress and reflect motifs seen in the puppet. The flag design is inspired by African textiles patterns and prints from across the continent.
