African Radio Drama Association launched
Theatre, untapped
tourism potential - GUTS
Theatre, untapped
tourism potential - GUTS
Accra (Greater Accra), 01 March
2001
The Ghana Union Of Theatre Society
(GUTS) on Wednesday said the theatre is an untapped tourism potential and
called on policy makers to focus on the development of the arts.
Captain Nkrabea Effah-Darteh
(RTD), MP for Berekum and National Chairman of GUTS, said Ghana should take
advantage of the international dimension of theatre performance to reach out to
neighbouring countries.
He was speaking at a meeting to
announce a special 44th Independence anniversary performance of GUTS in
collaboration with the National Theatre and Ultimate Media Limited.
The performance to highlight
"50 years of Ghana Theatre" is to offer policy makers and politicians
the opportunity to understand the arts.
Capt. Effah-Darteh said:
"Artists by their endowed abilities as communicators through visual
performances interpret otherwise complicated issues to the understanding of all
thereby leaving a lasting impression on the memory of the audience."
Ms Korkor Amarteifio, Director of
Operations of the National Theatre, urged the government to outline its policy
on theatre performance in particular and culture in general.
She said the notion that theatre
performance is a hobby must be discarded, "as modern theatre performance
demands professional skill and qualifications."
GRi…/
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African Radio Drama Association launched
Accra (Greater Accra), 01 March 2001
The Ghana branch of the African Radio Drama Association (ARDA) was launched in Accra on Wednesday with a call on members to use the medium to unite and not divide.
Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said radio is a powerful communication tool that could be used to destroy or construct.
He said poverty, disease and famine are what should be fought in Africa through radio and not the human resource base.
Mr Eghan said Africa is plagued with a lot of socio-economic problems, which need to be tackled by ARDA for the rapid development of the continent.
ADRA, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, which was conceived during a symposium of African radio experts in Harare, Zimbabwe, in November 1994, aims at addressing the development needs of Africa through running drama series on radio.
Mr Eghan said as a result of the 1992 constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and independence of the media, there are now more than 50 radio stations, with about 15 in Accra alone.
This, he said, has contributed to the advancement of Ghana's democracy, adding that during the 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, radio stations assisted the Electoral Commission in monitoring declaration of results and alerting the police on malpractice.
He suggested that ARDA Ghana team up with ARDA Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and other branches to mobilise and empower women economically, to enable them to feed the continent as they have always done.
Mr Femi Jarett, Executive Producer of ARDA-Nigeria, said there is the need for ARDA-Ghana to make people in power aware of their responsibilities to the people.
He said this is important since probity, accountability and transparency "form the bulwark of democracy."
GRi…/
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