500HORSES PARTNERS WITH TRACE TV
TO KICK OFF THE TOUCHDOWN FESTIVAL
THIS DECEMBER IN ACCRA
COMMEMORATES THE YEAR OF RETURN WITH
“DREAMS OF A MODERN AFRICA”
SUMMIT
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
(Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Accra, Ghana) – On Friday, December 27 500horses founders, Yussuf Yanni, Ornella Poncia, and Mark Deku in partnership with TRACE TV will kick off the first ever TouchDown Festival in Accra, Ghana. The soft launch will be a day of celebration as influencers, tastemakers, the global community, and artists from all over the diaspora join to commemorate the Year of Return, four hundred years since the first slave ships left Ghana during the transatlantic slave trade.
The day’s festivities will be a two part celebration kicking off with a “Dreams of a Modern Africa” summit at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel followed by a launch party later that evening at Plot7. Liquor will be sponsored by French spirits company Pernod Ricard Ghana. The summit will include a series of panels exploring various topics including arts & entertainment in and around the continent, mental health in the global Black community, and the rise of the digital industry in Africa. The panel discussions will be followed by an intimate cocktail reception and special showcase by luxury Ghanian designer Fred Deegbe who will unveil never before seen pieces from his shoe and handbag line, MMUSA. The TouchDown Festival will conclude with an unforgettable launch party later that evening.
Not your traditional festival, TouchDown will open the door for meaningful discussions on issues surrounding the diaspora. Attendees will have a chance to explore the impact Africa has had on the global community as it relates to arts and culture, while also examining ways the continent can leverage its position as a key player in the world. As part of its mission, the festival will aim to strengthen ties between Africa and the Black community by creating a safe space for intentional conversations and cultural celebration. TouchDown founder, Yussuf Yanni, explains “Africa has always played a significant role on the global scale, socially, economically, and politically but equally so in arts and entertainment. The festival will not only explore the important role Africa plays in arts and culture but how we leverage this to our advantage. My hope is to expand the TouchDown Festival throughout the diaspora and the global community.”
Save the date and add The TouchDown Festival to your calendar as you plan your Year of Return festivities! RSVP directly to the TouchDown Festival “Dreams of a Modern Africa” summit HERE as it is open to the public. Tickets for the launch party can be purchased HERE. Keep up with all things TouchDown @touchdown_fest and follow TRACE TV @tracenaija via instagram.
About 500horses:
500horses is a visionary group of friends whose experience in the entertainment industry spans 3 continents and over a decade, across artistry, hosting concerts and events, running charitable organizations, artist management & branding, running youth sports camps and more. 500horses believes in the power of creating platforms for the continent and owning our ability to rewrite the narrative of Africa and Africans for ourselves and the world. As our contribution to this philosophy in the arts and entertainment world, our goal is to create an annual event, which furthers our passion for expanding Black culture inside and outside the continent. The 500horses team wants to create a global community, crossing oceans and erasing borders through the arts and music.