Ibadan, Nigeria, was alive in August 2025 when a diverse group of musicians, storytellers, and artists came together for historic training in preparation for MASA 2026. This five-day event (August 25–29), organised by Arts Connect Africa (ACA) in collaboration with MASA, the Spanish Embassy, the Spanish Cooperation Office, and Ckrowd, was more than just workshops and rehearsals; it represented a cross-continental collaborative vision.
In addition to preparing artists for performance, the project marked a sea change by demonstrating how African creative ecosystems may flourish when linked to the thriving networks of Latin America through Conexiones Culturales de Latinoamérica (CCLA).
ACA & CCLA: Connectors Across Worlds
Founded in April 2020, CCLA is a collaborative network that links Latin American music industry professionals, including festivals, agencies, and producers. Its goals are to improve mobility, fortify professional ties, and generate business opportunities through joint projects and training initiatives. They firmly believe in the ability of culture, particularly music, to promote intercultural communication, economic expansion, and social advancement. Similarly, Arts Connect Africa unites voices throughout Africa and the world by promoting creativity at more than 50 festivals.
“From August 25–29, 2025, Ibadan will become the hub of cultural preparation as Arts Connect Africa (ACA), in partnership with the MASA Performing Arts Festival … to equip Nigerian artists ahead of MASA 2026,” ACA’s recent announcement reaffirmed the organisation’s involvement in the Ibadan training.
When working together, ACA and CCLA capitalise on their complementary advantages: While CCLA offers Latin American networks, collective professional development, and experience in enabling regional projects through festivals, mentoring, touring circuits, and digital platforms, ACA brings pan-African reach, festival network infrastructure, and a relationship to MASA. Beyond national borders and linguistic limitations, their alignment opens up new avenues for creatives.
Why Cross-Regional Exchange Matters
Regional seclusion and a lack of official industry infrastructure frequently result in unrealised potential for African musicians, particularly those with traditional genre roots. Those involved in traditional Nigerian music were exposed to festival programming, touring tactics, and cultural diplomacy during the Ibadan MASA workshop. It proved that tradition and innovation could coexist, that it could be both preserved and used to reach audiences around the world.
Building Sustainable Networks & Amplifying Voices
Proof of concept projects include the Ibadan training. They demonstrate how cross-continental cooperation can have a real impact by helping artists develop their commercial acumen, promoting cultural heritage, and making creative activity more viable. With more than 50 events, ACA’s festival network serves as a venue for learning as well as performing, incorporating masterclasses, workshops, and rights education. According to Music In Africa, ACA has strategic control over over 50 events, giving them a unique opportunity to influence how African culture is embraced and disseminated around the world.
Meanwhile, CCLA’s “About” statement describes that network’s values exactly: “strengthen professional music links… promote artistic mobility… multiply business opportunities for music… through exchange of best practices and the creation of specific collaborative projects.” That language captures what the Ibadan training brought to life.
More than just performing opportunities, amplifying Latin American and African voices on the international scene requires infrastructure, finance, legislation, and acknowledgment. Diplomacy takes place during industry markets and festivals. The creative industries can support economic growth, tourism, heritage preservation, and better global representation when artists participate in cross-region training, networks are reinforced, and cultural organisations collaborate.
A Call to Action for Policy Makers and Cultural Institutions
For this model to scale, the following must happen:
- Support funding for cross-border training programmes that consciously integrate tradition, innovation, and market readiness.
- Simplify visa, mobility, and festival exchange frameworks for artists so that physical travel, work permits, and cross-continent collaborations are less burdensome.
- Embed culture in diplomacy agendas, recognising that artistic exchange and creative expression are strategic assets in international relations and cultural soft power.
- Promote policy partnerships between African and Latin American governments to co-fund platforms, co-host cultural festivals, and develop shared regulatory frameworks for rights, royalties, and cultural heritage protection.
- Invest in artist professionalisation from technical training (sound engineering, production, touring) to creative entrepreneurship, IP literacy, and international networking.
- Conclusion: Shared Future Through Shared Culture
The partnership between ACA and CCLA during the workshop in Ibadan is a shining example of what can happen when artists, organisations, and policies come together across continents. It demonstrates how regional integration between Latin America and West Africa can do more than just produce art; it can also boost economies, protect cultural heritage, and create innovative futures.
The message is clear for those involved in legislation, cultural institutions, and music professionals: encouraging cross-cultural interactions is crucial, not optional. Together, ACA and CCLA are demonstrating how South-South collaboration can spur economic growth and cultural vitality. We should all work together to increase the frequency, equity, and width of those bridges.
Kayode Adebayo is CEO of Ckrowd and board director at Arts Connect Africa (ACA).
