Editor's Lens: …Of ‘thons’ and economic power of creative arts

Ghana has experienced a surge in Guinness World Record breaking attempts in recent times, with notable feats such as the longest singing marathon attempt by broadcast journalist, Afua Asantewaa Aduonum, and Chef Failatu's cooking marathon which captured the entire nation's attention.

These attempts did not only infuse a sense of excitement into the country’s creative space and last year’s December festivities, but they also revealed the great potential of the creative sector and its relevance to our economic growth.

Afua’s Sing-A-Thon was undoubtedly the biggest event that happened last December, capturing all the relevant headlines. Thousands of revellers thronged the Akwaaba Village where it took place to support her. The story wasn’t different from Faila’s Cook-A-Thon in Tamale. For both projects, Ghanaians travelled from all over the country to support them.

It was therefore not surprising when reports from Tamale disclosed that most of the hotels around the location of Modern City Hotel where the Cook-A-Thon took place were fully booked.

Recognising the undeniable traction and relevance these record-breaking attempts brought to the country, Graphic Showbiz is advocating that stakeholders actively create space and establish a robust support system for individuals who embark on these quests because the impact extends beyond the realm of entertainment and permeates the economic fabric of the country.

We share in the views of veteran Highlife musician Rex Omar that Ghana must not merely revel in the momentary joy these record attempts provide, but should strategically develop long-term infrastructure to foster and support such initiatives to boost a thriving creative space and economic activities. (Related articles: Editor's Lens: The need for event venues, now or never!, Editor's Lens: Dear celebrities, guard your words)

Graphic Showbiz believes that these individual endeavours should be able to receive substantial backing from stakeholders to ensure their success. By doing so, we will empower and encourage our citizens to reach for extraordinary achievements but also pave the way for Ghana to carve its niche on the global stage.

As the country keeps witnessing the positive impact of these record-breaking attempts, it is becoming evident that investing in and endorsing such undertakings would be a great form of investment for our country’s creative space, cultural richness and economic prosperity.