The Kente Registry Podcast
Every Thread Has a Name
Stories of Kente weavers and their cloth, hosted by Kente Registry founder Phillip Nyakpo.
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Stories of the people behind the cloth
Every Thread Has a Name is the podcast of the Kente Registry. Hosted by founder Phillip Nyakpo, it tells the stories of Kente weavers from Ghana’s Ewe and Asante traditions, shares news from the Registry, and explores the ideas that connect them. Every episode points you to a record you can look up here on KenteRegistry.org.
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Episodes
All episodes
New episodes are released whenever there is a new thread to follow. Press play on any episode below, or open it in your favourite app.
Building the Foundations to Preserve Kente for All Time
Kente Registry has been approved for Google for Nonprofits and has opened its own bank account with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Phillip Nyakpo explains what each milestone means, and what it does not: Google’s approval is not a partnership or an endorsement, and a bank account is not an appeal for donations. The Registry is building its governance, finances and digital systems first, before inviting wider public support.
- The foundations, in writing: the Constitution, the Conflict of Interest Policy and our entry on the ACNC Charity Register.
- Mentioned in this episode: Frank Yao Agidi’s Registry record.
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The people and the rules
Who decides what goes into a Kente Registry record, and what prevents favouritism? Phillip Nyakpo introduces the Directors and Advisors behind Kente Registry Limited and explains the safeguards that protect the integrity of its work, from declaring conflicts of interest to giving weavers a voice in the institution’s future. Read the companion article, The People and Rules Behind the Kente Registry.
- In their own words: founding directors Dr Senyo Kwaku Agbeblewu and Samuel Anum Adjei. Meet the full Board & Advisors.
- Read the rules for yourself: the Constitution and the Conflict of Interest Policy.
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A charity, and what that means
On 13 October 2026, Australia’s charity regulator confirmed that Kente Registry Limited is a registered charity, backdated to the day it was founded. Phillip Nyakpo explains what that means for the weavers whose names the Registry keeps, how anyone can check its status in a single click, and, honestly, what charity status does not mean yet.
- Check for yourself: the Registry’s ACNC Charity Register listing.
- Also mentioned: founding directors Samuel Anum Adjei and Dr Senyo Kwaku Agbeblewu. Meet the full Board & Advisors.
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From a project to an institution
Where does a registry for Kente begin? In a conversation at home. Phillip Nyakpo shares how the idea was sparked by his wife, Gabriella Nyakpo, after she discovered the Scottish Register of Tartans, and how a personal project became Kente Registry Limited, a not-for-profit company with five commitments to weavers written into its Constitution.
- Featuring: Gabriella Nyakpo, whose question inspired the Kente Registry.
- Also mentioned: founding directors Samuel Anum Adjei and Dr Senyo Kwaku Agbeblewu. Meet the full Board & Advisors.
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What is the Kente Registry, and why?
Where does the story of a Kente cloth begin? With the person who wove it. In this first episode, Phillip Nyakpo explains what the Kente Registry is and why it exists: a permanent, public record of Kente weavers and their cloth, documented in their own names, with their consent. He sets out the principles that guide the Registry’s work: consent, attribution, stewardship and openness.
- Featuring: Master Kente weaver Frank Yao Agidi of Agotime-Akpokope, in his own voice.
- Also mentioned: Master weaver Cecilia Akpene Yevu of Agotime-Kpetoe.
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Every thread has a name
Know a weaver whose story should be told?
We would love to hear from weavers, families and communities. Suggest a story for the podcast, or begin a record in the Registry.