Establish a Creative Arts Council - Music Director


The Director of the Institute for Music and Development, Ms Korkor Amarteifio, has called for the establishment of a Creative Arts Council to provide proactive research plans and secure investment plans for the industry.

She said the absence of such a Council had made it difficult to design programs to assist the industry in securing the investment and financial support needed to successfully develop the sector into sustainable businesses.

Ms Amarteifio made the call on a panel discussion in Accra on the Ghana Journalists Association program dubbed: “Business Advocate” on Ghana Television on the relevance of the country’s national development plan.

The program was supported by BUSAC Fund, Denmark Embassy, United States Agency for International Development and the European Union.

Ms Amarteifio noted that the establishment of the Council would help put in place strategic plans to develop the industry to enable it to participate in international fairs to showcase the country’s potential in the creative arts sector.

Speaking on the topic “Enhancing Music Policy Environment to Boost Ghana’s Creative Industries”, she said the creative arts industry had contributed to the socio-economic development of the country and that proper mechanisms were critical for its sustenance.

She urged government to invest in creative cities as done in other countries to expand and unearth the potentials of individuals, as well as create employment for the youth.

Ms Amarteifio noted that there was the lack of a practical and result-oriented strategy to provide the needed impetus that music could bring to Ghana’s creative sector and enhance the policy environment and maximize the socio-economic potential of Ghana’s creative sector.

She was of the view that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration should be empowered to put in place structures abroad that would bring Ghanaian artists to showcase their potential and enhance the country’s image.

Mrs Amartefio urged government to incorporate the study of creative arts into the school curriculum from the basic level and not only from the University, to help develop the hidden talents of the children from the foundation.

She expressed worry about the inability of the authorities to implement policies for the sector, stressing that the country was good at drafting laws but weak in implementation.

President of the Musicians Union of Ghana, Mr Brice Osei Kuffour, enumerated problems including piracy, lack of access to funding and cumbersome processes in securing visas which negatively affected the development of the industry.

He urged the government to give tax incentives to organizations that supported the creative arts industry for the organizations to continue to support the industry.

Mr Kuffour also appealed to government to establish partnerships with private companies like those in the telecommunications industry for the establishment of a multi-purpose entertainment industry for both local and international shows.

The Director of Planning at the National Development Planning Commission, Dr Isaac Mensah-Bonsu, said the NDPC would incorporate a national policy on creative arts into the overall long-term development plan since the sector played a significant role in national development.

The Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr William Boateng, at the National Commission on Culture said there was the need to implement policies in the sector to avoid conflicts.

He urged stakeholders in the industry to develop a good business plan that will encourage corporate bodies to support their activities.


SOURCE: GNA