ESE NE TEKYEREMA CIC is a community interest company established to promote social cohesion through diverse forms of creativity, heritage, and lived experience storytelling, while contributing to the development of equitable economies, particularly within global majority communities. During the financial year ending 30th April 2025, the organisation delivered a rich and evolving programme of activities that brought people together across cultures, generations, and geographies. At the core of all activities is the intentional use of creativity and heritage as tools for connection, knowledge-sharing, and community building. A key flagship programme, Africaniwa, continued to provide a vital storytelling platform centred on lived and living experiences across the African world and diaspora. This initiative curated monthly exhibitions and engagements, creating safe and reflective spaces where individuals could share personal narratives, challenge dominant narratives, and foster deeper understanding. Through this programme, the organisation strengthened its commitment to storytelling as a tool for social cohesion and collective learning. The organisation also significantly expanded its heritage-led programming through the “Chocolate Has a Name” Festival A key commission project commemorating Calderdale year of culture, which continues to stand as a unique and pioneering body of work within the global North. This work centres cocoa heritage, lived experience, and cultural ownership as a knowledge-building and sharing platform. During the year, the organisation actively contributed to and developed what is recognised as one of the only chocolate festivals in the global North authored and led by individuals with direct cocoa farming heritage and lived experience. As part of this work, the organisation responded directly to community need by presenting the first transatlantic Golden Pod Breaking Ceremony in Bradford, in alignment with UK City of Culture 2025 programming. This was a significant cultural moment that bridged communities across continents, honouring ancestral knowledge, cultural heritage, and collective memory. The programme intentionally integrated children and young people, ensuring intergenerational participation and learning. In addition, the organisation delivered a range of community-based workshops and heritage programmes across Calderdale and beyond, including activity at Eureka, local schools, and community groups such as Scouts. These workshops explored themes of identity, wellbeing, creativity, and climate awareness through culturally rooted practices and storytelling. Through the Tatale Stories initiative, the company continued to promote climate literacy using storytelling methodologies that centre indigenous knowledge systems and accessible learning. The Kokoo Mindfulness programme further supported community wellbeing by creating culturally grounded spaces for reflection, healing, and emotional resilience. The organisation also contributed to climate education and leadership development, delivering training in partnership with local organisations and supporting community leaders and volunteers to build knowledge and capacity around climate-related challenges. Across the year, ESE NE TEKYEREMA CIC engaged in numerous public events, collaborations, and cultural programmes, strengthening partnerships with organisations, festivals, educational institutions, and community networks. These engagements extended the organisation’s reach while reinforcing its core mission. Overall, ESE NE TEKYEREMA CIC has demonstrated clear and measurable community benefit by: Bringing diverse communities together through shared cultural and creative experiences Promoting social cohesion through storytelling, heritage, and intergenerational engagement Supporting education, wellbeing, and climate awareness Elevating underrepresented voices and lived experiences as valid and essential forms of knowledge Strengthening both local and global community connections

The company’s stakeholders include: Community members and programme participants Volunteers and management committee members Partner organisations (including Halifax Unity, Racial Justice Network, OR Foundation, and others) Educational institutions, cultural organisations, galleries, and museums Children and young people engaged through schools and workshops Beneficiaries of international projects (including communities in Ghana and other global majority contexts) Stakeholder consultation has been conducted through: Direct engagement during workshops, festivals, and programmes Ongoing feedback gathered during public engagement activities and collaborations Continuous dialogue with partner organisations and collaborators Informal and formal feedback loops within volunteer and leadership structures Observational learning and responsive programming based on community needs As a result of stakeholder feedback, the company has: Expanded Africaniwa and related storytelling platforms to increase accessibility and participation Developed and strengthened heritage-based programming, particularly through “Chocolate Has a Name” Positioned the festival as a biennial cultural and heritage event in response to its success and demand Increased opportunities for children and young people to engage in creative and heritage-based learning Created more inclusive and accessible creative spaces within In collaboration with galleries, museums, and cultural institutions Strengthened collaborations across cities to ensure broader community reach and inclusion Adapted programme delivery to better reflect community realities, needs, and lived experiences Deepened focus on wellbeing, identity, and climate awareness as interconnected themes Through these consultations, the organisation continues to embed a community-led, responsive, and inclusive approach to all of its work.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration