For Ghana’s theatre industry to attract the attention and investment it deserves, playwright and creative director Kuta Body Alone believes practitioners must first make the industry impossible to overlook.
According to the KUTA IMAGES Creative Lead, the government is juggling a long list of competing priorities and cannot be expected to focus solely on theatre. For that reason, the responsibility falls largely on creatives themselves to push the industry into the spotlight.
In a recent conversation with the Graphic Showbiz, Kuta Body Alone, real name Kuuku Korsah Enninful, said theatre players cannot afford to sit back and wait for support to come to them. They have to elbow their way into the conversation.
“As a reviving and struggling industry, we are likely to be sidelined, but it depends on the players to be loud enough so we can be noticed like the film and music industry,” he said.
Sharing his thoughts on the current state of theatre in Ghana, he described the industry as one still battling to regain its strength despite its enormous potential.
“Honestly speaking, I will say the state of theatre in Ghana is fighting for revival, infrastructural support and funding, taking into consideration how formidable the industry is,” he explained.
While he acknowledged some positive signs from government, he stressed that much more remains to be done, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and funding.
“I think the government has the theatre industry in its good books. The fact that the government partnered some media houses to celebrate the recent Mother’s Day through theatre is a step in the right direction.
“However, infrastructure and funding are still inadequate and like Oliver Twist, the industry can only ask for more,” he said.
Kuta Body Alone also admitted that theatre risked being overshadowed within Ghana’s wider creative economy, but maintained that industry players themselves must take part of the responsibility.
He credited some ‘heavy lifters’ currently keeping the stage alive, name-checking fellow practitioners including Kobina Ansah, Latif Abubakar, Francis Tetteh Nutakor, Isaac K. Owusu and George Quaye for their relentless efforts to keep the industry alive and relevant.
Beyond funding, he identified visibility as one of the biggest challenges affecting theatre attendance, especially among younger audiences.
“When there is adequate and proper promotional plan, reaching large audiences can be achieved regardless of the quality of the production. This, however, depends on having the funds to promote theatre. You need money to market”, he noted.
On a positive note, he praised the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education for weaving Creative Arts into the school curriculum, describing it as an important step toward nurturing future audiences and talents.
“I give the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education a pat on the back for introducing Creative Arts. This will help students develop interest from an early age. However, the subject must be treated as important as Mathematics, English among others,” he said.
Kuta Body Alone further appealed to corporate organisations to invest more heavily in theatre, noting that a handful of brands have already shown encouraging support.
“We make a plea to corporate bodies to support the theatre arts industry. I acknowledge brands such as Daylight Event, Escort Security Services and Evivi Rice for their support,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful about the future of Ghanaian theatre. However, he insists that meaningful growth will only happen if stakeholders come together to provide the institutional backing the industry urgently needs.
“The Ghanaian theatre arts industry is creatively promising but surviving on passion and hustle. The industry is crying for institutional support and stakeholders must make a conscious effort to support it so it can scale up significantly,” he added.
