The Nightjar Project
The Nightjar Project
Connecting Communities
The Nightjar Project led and funded by local organisations African Activities, SPUD, Folio, and the New Forest National Park Authority, creates space for conversations and exchange of ideas between communities from both parts of the globe. The project began in spring 2025 and is set to run for at least two years.
Ghanaian-born artist, musician and community leader Kwame Bakoji-Hume has led a series of storytelling and drumming workshops with local communities through African Activities. These workshops culminated in an exhibition at SPUD in Sway in April 2025, an event that featured a live stream to Kwame’s home village in Ghana, creating a moment of real-time connection.
At the heart of the exhibition stood a giant sculptural nightjar (pictured above), reflecting the dynamic energy of Kwame’s artwork and the themes of dual belonging. The sculpture is now touring the New Forest and Southampton, sparking new conversations.
Sound Scrapes
As part of the project, Kwame selected eleven sound recordings from Ghanaian life to form a series of immersive ‘sound scrapes’. These audio pieces evoke personal memories and cultural landscapes, drawing parallels and contrasts between Ghana and the New Forest.
The sound scrapes prompt reflection on lived experience and colonial histories. Like the nightjar’s migration the sounds travel, bridging two places and inviting listeners to experience both the familiar and the unfamiliar. You can listen to them now on SPUD’s website here.
Filming the Forest
Alongside Kwame’s work, film maker James Elliott created a documentary examining how skilled workers in the New Forest use the traditional practice of controlled burning to manage the landscape by creating fire breaks in the vegetation. The film captures the physical work and decision-making involved in sustaining these fragile habitats and have been shared with partners in Ghana, opening up a dialogue about shared environmental knowledge and challenges.
The Nightjar Project is still in its early stages, and is currently developing ideas with all parties involved to continue its migratory path of creativity and storytelling.