PThe 2nd National Delegates Conference of the 2019 Ghana Culture Day, aimed at discussing issues pertaining to the state of arts and culture in the country was held in Accra, on Thursday.
It was themed: “The cultural frontline: Bringing policy and practise together” and was organised by the Ghana Culture Forum (GCF) in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The stakeholder’s dialogue was attended by a host of celebrities in the movie and music industry including the President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bice Osei Kuffour, also known in showbiz as Obour, Amandzeba, Mr David Dontoh, as well as cultural enthusiasts to deliberate and make recommendations on the way forward for the country’s arts and culture industry.
Dr Ziblim Iddi, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the government was aware of the problems the cultural sector was facing, indicating that government had set up an initiative to address the challenges, prominent among them was restricting the cultural invasion as a result of globalisation.
Touching on the 400 years of return about the Trans Atlantic slave Trade, he expressed the importance for the sector to work together to display the cultural dispensation of the country to the Diaspora.
On his part, Nana Fredua-Agyeman Ofori-Atta, the Board Chairman of the National Theatre, said the theatre was advocating at promoting the arts and culture industry in the country.
He expressed the need for more stakeholders to be engaged in tackling issues of the country’s cultural heritage.
The head of Office and Representative of UNESCO, Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, said efforts were being made by the United Nations in line with the Sustainable Development Goals to promote culture across the continents.
He pledged UNESCO’s support to the nation’s cultural sector in spearheading cultural policies to enhance cultural values.
Mr Diallo stated, “The creative economy is the driver of growth in any economy and should be encouraged by governments across the globe”.
BY DAVID TAKYI
