Fix your attitude if you want to see growth –Mark Okraku to creatives

THE Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has made a passionate plea to stakeholders in the creative industry to shed harmful habits that have been hindering the sector's growth.

He argued that the creative industry's failure to reach its full potential was due to the prevalent negative attitudes and poor collaboration among players.

According to him, the creative industry's vast potential for economic growth, cultural development, and job creation could only be realised if stakeholders adopted a more collaborative approach towards a common goal.

Mr Okraku-Mantey made the plea at the launch of the 2024 edition of the biennial National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) in Accra on Tuesday, August 6. This year’s festival comes off inTechiman in the Bono East Region from October 25 to 31.

He called for change in the way stakeholders operate, stressing that honesty, accountability and transparency were essential for progress.

 “There is one particular area that I think we should look at, and this is very dear to me. Anytime we mention culture, we are quick to talk about the tangible and forget about the behavioural aspect. We don’t consume what we have. Do we believe in Ghana?

“Another one is corruption. We forget that the whole conversation about corruption is behavioural. If you fix the behaviour, all the other ones, whether it's heritage, forts and castles, all the things that UNESCO is struggling with when it comes to Ghana, because our behaviours are fixed, we will end up fixing them ourselves.

“And so culture is not just the dance, the music, and all the things we want to talk about, it’s the roots of our culture. Because it's our behaviour that informs our culture. So please, this year, we want to see steps, things that show we are working on our game,” he said.

Mr Okraku-Mantey also expressed confidence in an incident-free NAFAC, citing the host region's secure environment as a guarantee for a successful event.

He also highlighted the festival's potential to stimulate economic growth not only for the region but also for the country as a whole.

“I'm happy we are going to Techiman. This is going to serve as a catalyst for development. The local economy will definitely grow. The regional ministers' presence here, I'm sure, speaks a lot. We have their full support. Our security is secured. I encourage all of you to make the most of Techiman,” he said.

Additionally, the minister tasked the planning committee with the responsibility of ensuring that this year's festival surpasses previous editions in terms of quality and impact.

 “To the National Planning Committee, I challenge you to change the narrative. It should be one of the best events that will be discussed afterwards,” he added.