President Nana Akufo-Addo, has cut the sod for the construction of a Creative Arts Senior High School (SHS), to be located in Kwadaso, in the Ashanti Region.
Cutting the sod on Sunday, December 1, President Akufo-Addo stated that “we reaffirm our commitment to the growth of the creative arts industry by cutting the sod for the construction of the very first Senior High School in Ghana dedicated solely to the industry.”
President Akufo-Addo (far left) with Tourism Minister Barbara Oteng Gyasi and Education Minister Dr Opoku Prempeh
He added that “there could be no more fitting place for the siting of the first of many of such edifices than the ancient, vibrant city of Kumasi, famed for its rich pedigree of culture, music, dance, folklore and drama.”
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Present at the event were Tourism Minister Barbara Oteng Gyasi and Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh.
Government, President Akufo-Addo stressed, intends to construct more of such schools across the country.
He explained that it would give young people, from every nook and cranny, can gain access to this kind of specialised education to improve and hone their skills in the creative arts.
“I have every confidence that this school will serve as an important beacon for many young and talented people, seeking a fulfilling career in the creative arts,” he said.
He urged leaders in the industry to make themselves available to provide guidance and inspiration to the new school, “as it takes its initial steps in order to ensure that a legacy of excellence is passed on to the younger generation within a clear and solid framework.”
It would be recalled, for the creative arts sector, the New Patriotic Party pledged to promote, at the regional and district levels, literature, music, dance and drama competitions, particularly in schools and colleges.
It also promised to establish a Creative Arts Fund to provide funding to modernise and develop the sector, establish a Creative Arts Council to coordinate and harmonise the various interests and fragmented associations of the sector into a well-functioning body to protect the interests of its members.
Although the Creatie Arts Council has been created to help the industry, Cabinet is yet to approve the Creative Arts Industry Bill, which would give room for the council to legally govern and provide assistance for the industry.
Passage of the bill will help the establishment of the creative arts fund and an agency to promote the industry and help Government create an enabling environment through which direct and indirect support for practitioners and the industry can be channelled.