Arts and Creative industry gears up for 2017

The year 2017 is only a few days gone and players in the arts and creative industry are already gearing up for activities for the year. Already, organisers of the prestigious annual Ghana Music Awards, Charter House, have called for entries for this year’s awards.

This shows that even though the year is still very young, stakeholders within the creative arts industry have set the tone for a better industry.

Inspite of the bright start, the industry is still rife with challenges.  Reports of players in the arts and entertainment industry going out of business flood the various media outlets.

The unavailability of policies that will put in place structures to serve their interest, has been cited by the stakeholders as the cause for their current plight.

Last year, for instance, the Ghana Association of Audio-Visual Distribution (GAAD) joined the “fray” of creative sector players who were lamenting about the dwindling fortunes of their business.

Prior to that, some actors had added their voice to the call for proper policies to be put in place to save the industry.  Actress, Yvonne Nelson made her voice heard on the issue and later last year, Bibi Bright confirmed that all wasn’t well with the industry.

Truly, if all was well with the industry, there probably would not be the need to appeal for funds for some of the older generation of actors and musicians who are living in abject poverty despite their selfless contribution to the country.

It’s based on this that Showbiz entreats the creative family to intensify their efforts to ensure that the necessary measures and policies are put in place to spur the growth of the industry

While supporting the industry players on their call for government’s intervention by initiating policies that will protect their works and sweat and in turn sustain them financially when they are out of active business, Showbiz also calls for a unified front for the sector to push forward a common agenda.