Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts had a working visit from the British Council, headed by Nii Doodo Dodoo, to discuss potential areas of cooperation in showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural legacy.
During the visit, there were talks on boosting the creative arts industry and using tourism as a major source of income.
Hon. Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie greeted the team and conveyed gratitude for the British Council’s lengthy support of Ghanaian arts and culture.
She underlined that more funding is required for fields like painting, dance, craft, and cuisine, which she claimed receive little funding while having the capacity to improve Ghana’s standing in the world.
“Ghana does not lack talent, but we require the correct training to make our creatives marketable and competitive on the world stage,” the minister stated.
She also emphasized how crucial it is to train and professionalize tour guides so they can tell Ghana’s history in an interesting and correct manner without falsifying any facts.
The group’s leader, Mr. Dodoo, an International Development Expert, discussed his connections to Ghana’s tourist industry, calling the visit a “homecoming” and sharing his early days working as a tour guide there.
The British Council has been working in the nation for more than 80 years, he said, and has made contributions to several areas, most notably the arts and culture.
The “Black Star Experience” effort and its influence on Ghana’s cultural narrative piqued the organization’s interest.
“In the UK, tourism contributes close to 16 billion pounds annually, with about one million people employed in the industry. There are immense lessons Ghana can take from such a model,” Dodoo remarked.
The topic of equipping young artists with business acumen to optimize the financial gains from their abilities was also discussed.
Through strategic collaborations, the British Council reaffirmed its commitment to promoting cultural exchanges and bolstering Ghana’s creative economy.
The minister reiterated the importance of consistency and quality in Ghanaian arts and crafts while sharing a personal observation: whereas more recent gifts from other nations have rapidly deteriorated, sculptures she traded in the 1980s have remained intact.
“Policy must recondition mindsets and ensure consistency in our cultural outputs,” she asserted.
Stronger collaborations for the growth of Ghana’s tourism, culture, and creative arts sectors are being fostered by the British Council’s engagement with the ministry.
Source: newsthemegh.com