The Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, has assured the Ghana Culture Forum (GCF) of the ministry’s support for the Ghana Culture Day celebrations which is organised by the GCF annually on March 14.
Hon. Dr Awal gave the assurance when the newly elected Functional Executive Committee of GCF paid a courtesy call on the minister on Friday, 21st April. He said: “The ministry will support you with the Ghana Culture Day celebrations”. Dr Awal indicated that the ministry is the home of all cultural practitioners and stakeholders and that the ministry is ever ready to deliberate and activate all issues concerned with improving the Ghanaian cultural and creative industries environment. The meeting was to formally introduce the new executive body to the leadership of the ministry.
The Chairman of GCF, Nana Otuo Owuahene Acheampong – also known in private life as Franklin Glover, briefed the minister on the establishment of GCF and the genesis of the Ghana Culture Day celebrations, which is in its twelfth year. The GCF chairman noted that as part of GCF’s determination to get the youths interested in our culture, an interschools debate was started as part of the Ghana Culture Day celebration. He, therefore, called on the minister to liaise with his colleague at the Ministry of Education to explore the possibility of having a nationwide interschools debate on culture.
Nana Owuoahene Acheampong also informed the minister of access to the expertise available in the forum to support the ministry in its mandate to develop the culture, arts and tourism sectors.
GCF is the foremost civil society organisation in the cultural and creative industries sector with a membership of 86 member-associations united around the common vision of affirming the cultural foundations of development and enhancing the cultural and creative industries. There was a mutual agreement between the two parties to collaborate on development-based projects within the culture and arts space. GCF was represented at the meeting by Nana Otuo Owoahene Acheampong – Chairperson; Ahuma Bosco Ocansey – Vice Chairperson; Edwina Assan – General Secretary; Ken Fiati – Executive Member; and Patrick Bortey Alabi – Administrative Secretary of the GCF Secretariat. Also in attendance were John Yao Agbeko, Chief Director of MOTAC; and Nana Sarfo Kantanka, Special Advisor to the minister.
