Letter to President John Mahama

By Ahuma ‘Daddy Bosco Ocansey
Dear Sir,
I hope this letter meets you in the best of health. The purpose of this letter is to discuss a few issues that I believe are crucial to the sustained development of the Creative Industries in Ghana.
Sometime ago on a television programme, the host George Quaye of Pundits on GhOne asked me that if I had the President’s ear for a moment what would be my suggestions for the development of the Creative Industries in Ghana?
I told him that in my view, there are a number of key issues that would be very instrumental in getting our creative industries on the right footing and contributing towards our national development agenda.
Mr President, these are the key issues that after extensive interactions with key players in the creative industries and from my personal point of view will, in no small way, contribute to the development of our creative industries.

John Dramani Mahama
DEDICATED MINISTRY FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
For most key players in the creative industries, the absence of a dedicated ministry for the sector was a major problem. There were views that the lack of such a ministry was indicative of government’s position on the creative industries.
Therefore the announcement that the Ministry of Tourism had been expanded to cater for Culture and Creative Industries was received warmly by the sector and the appointment of one of our own, the indefatigable Dzifa Gomashie as the deputy minister for the Ministry was indeed welcome news.
What remains to be seen is the strategic direction of the ministry and how the realigned ministry will address the numerous challenges facing the creative industries. The focus of the ministry should be clearly indicated so that both the sector and the ministry know what the mutual expectations are.
In this regard, I offer a few suggestions for the realigned ministry’s dealings with the ten domains of the creative industries in Ghana:
In consultation with the key players in the industry like the Musicians Union of Ghana, Actors Guild and all other members of the Ghana Cultural Forum, the extensive work that has already been done should be brought to the front burner and dealt with accordingly.

Abla Dzifa Gomashie
For example, a few months ago, the British Council organized a forum based on the NDPC’s work where industry players agreed on key priority areas. To avoid reinventing the wheel, the ministry has to pick up the work that has been done in that regard within the ambit of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda 2010 -2013 and the Creative Sector Medium – Term Development Plan which was done with the involvement of representatives of all the ten domains. This should form the basis for the ministry’s strategic focus.
In addition to the above, the ten domains in the sector i.e. Cultural sites, Visual Arts, Traditional Cultural expressions, Performing Arts, Music, Publishing, Audio Visuals, New Media, Design and Creative Services should all be assigned liaison officers to handle the various domains in tandem with the National Commission on Culture to ensure a sharp focus and a clear channel of communication between the domains and the ministry.
Another thing the ministry can champion is the reintroduction of music and drama into our curriculum, which in addition to the pedagogical benefits will also foster the development of talents for our creative arts industries.
CONSTRUCTION OF SIZABLE NATIONAL AUDITORIUM AND VENUES
Another issue that begs attention is the absence of an auditorium or venue that can host a minimum of 15,000 persons. Currently the biggest indoor venue we have in Ghana is the Dome which seats approximately 4,000 persons. Even after the renovation the venue is undergoing, the maximum capacity will not exceed 5,000.

Daddy Bosco
This affects the type of shows we can host in the country and also leads to some of the exorbitant rates being charged for shows here.
My humble suggestion, Your Excellency, is that just like President Rawlings built the National Theatre and the Accra International Conference Centre which are some of our prestigious event venues but unfortunately have become too small, you also need to build some real world class event venues.
It’s in that light that I suggest that you ginger the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to lead the quest for building a 15,000-seater auditorium. As an arts lover yourself, sir, this will be one of the best legacies you can bequeath to the Creative Industries. In the spirit of Public Private Partnerships, this venture can be brought into manifestation by tasking the Minister responsible for Public/Private Partnerships, Rashid Pelpuo who is an arts lover himself to work closely with our sector minister Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare .
Such a multipurpose auditorium can be built in such a way that it can be used for events that target about 5,000 persons and then the full capacity of 15,000 persons when necessary. The venue can also double as a convention centre as well as having offices and other facilities that will make it run on a sustainable basis.
Apart from the auditorium which should be cited in Accra, all regional capitals should have sizable auditoriums that can ensure a certain decentralization of performances so that instead of only Accra hosting international concerts, we can have a situation where tour promoters and event organizers can run national tours with the knowledge that they have venues which can accommodate the audiences they desire.
Next to the regional auditoriums would be district auditoriums where theatre, exhibition of art and other events can be held. At the moment, it is nearly impossible for theatre companies to embark on nationwide tours. Uncle Ebo Whyte who has proven that theatre is still alive in Ghana and it is still a much loved art form cannot even take the shows on the road. Apart from Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, theatre patrons in other regional capitals do not have the opportunity of enjoying the scintillating and wonderful performances of the Roverman crew.
The availability of venues at district levels will also afford other production companies the opportunity to showcase their talents and groom them for the national platforms.
FUNDING FOR THE SECTOR
Your Excellency, yet another thorny issue that is affecting the creative industries has to do with funding for the sector. There is currently no scheme to secure funding for artistic projects either by way of grants or loans.
Domains like Traditional Cultural Expressions, Cultural sites and Visuals Arts which are not entirely commercial ventures will require some assistance for them to bloom. Even commercially oriented domains like Performing Arts, Music and Creative Designs and Services require some funding. Therefore, if a system where movie makers and musicians have access to soft loans and grants for specific projects is put in place through a fund or similar arrangement, that would go a long way to support these industries and ensure that they can maximize their potentials.
For example if a fund can be established that would allow practitioners in the creative industries to access funding for projects based on specific themes or similar criteria, that would be a step in the right direction. Such a system will also ensure that our movies and music will evolve along a certain line and gradually separate the wheat from the chaff.
As at now, we have so much trash coming out as movies and music, but if artistes know that they can receive funding or some form of support to produce culturally relevant or thematic works, there can be no gainsaying that our artistic works will appreciate in value.
In the current dog eat dog situation we find ourselves, our movies, music and other artistic forms of expression will generally play to the gallery and follow a commercial lead that may not be of national relevance or contribute to the development of positive national psyche.
….(To Be Continued in Next Edition)
Editor’s Note: The author, Ahuma ‘Daddy Bosco’ Ocansey, is a Chartered Marketer and trained journalist. He has an illustrious background in Ghana’s entertainment industry and is currently the Administrator of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).