[ 2013-08-07 ]

Ghana to build second National Theatre
President John Dramani Mahama, on Monday announced
that government had secured funding from the
Turkish Export and Import (EXIM) Bank, to
construct a second National Theatre in Kumasi.

The project forms part of government’s plans to
promote theatre for development.

President Mahama disclosed this when the players
in the creative industry called on him at the
Flagstaff House, Kanda.

High on the agenda of the visit was the need for
the establishment of a council for the industry, a
film policy, protection of intellectual property
rights and the essence for increased funding to
the sector.

The President indicated that the government is
considering the expansion of places for cultural
performances and said the various centers for
national culture would be revamped in that
respect.

He underlined government’s commitment to
systematically shore up investment in the creative
industry, in partnership with the private sector,
to enable it to become one of the major drivers of
economic growth after cocoa and gold.

President Mahama noted that creative art is a
major income earner for some countries, adding
that in the United Kingdom for instance, the
industry is worth in excess of 36 billion pounds
and “if we put our investment in the industry it
could be one of the major sectors.”

On the need for a film policy to guide the
industry, he pointed out that a
film/cinematographic bill had been in the works
since 1998 and said Cabinet would reconsider it
for onward submission to Parliament for approval.

In relation to theft cases associated with
intellectual property, which has been a bane for
the industry, President Mahama called for public
education for people to appreciate the gravity of
the issue and desist from pirating people’s
works.

He also advocated stiffer sanctions to deter
prospective offenders.

The President gave the assurance that government
is fully committed to support the industry, hence
the re-alignment of the Ministry of Tourism to
give a boost to creative arts.

Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy of the Institute of
African Studies, University of Ghana; Mr Kwaw
Ansah, Veteran Film maker; and Bice Osei Kuffour,
President of Musician Union of Ghana, called for
more resource allocation, a film policy to guide
the industry and other measures to make the
industry vibrant for socio-economic growth

Source - GNA

... go Back