National Theatre Hosts Performing Arts Conference

The National Theatre of Ghana on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 held its Annual Conference of Performing Arts at the British Council, Accra.

Themed “A Rich Performing Arts Industry: The Role of Public Policy,” the event brought together relevant stakeholders in the creative arts industry.

The event provided a platform for creatives to propose solutions on how the Ghanaian creative industry can grow.

Wednesday’s gathering is a prelude of a major conference scheduled for October 2, 2024.

A Pan Africanist scholar and writer, Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, Dr. Edward Odoi, Mr. Kwame Boadi and Mr. Joseph Sarpong were the speakers for the conference which was moderated by Apiorkor Seyiram Ashong-Abbey.

The speakers acknowledged that, a rich performing arts industry is vital to a thriving cultural landscape and there was the need for a public policy to nurture the industry.

They advocated for investment in creative infrastructure, improved funding and financing, as well as a policy framework to strengthen intellectual property rights.

However, they noted all these must be backed by comprehensive research and data on the creative economy to help boost capacity and promote stability.

In attendance were Board Chairman of the National Theatre, Nana Fredua-Agyeman Ofori-Atta; former Ablekuma South MP and former Information Minister, Fritz Baffour; Dean of the School of Performing Arts, Prof. Awo Mana Asiedu among other industry players.