Power of GH Orange Economy

THE performing arts range from vocal and instrumental music, dance and theatre to pantomime, sung verse and comedy which are performed in front of a live audience for entertainment. 

They include numerous cultural expressions that reflect human creativity that are also found, to some extent, in many other intangible cultural heritage domains. 

The United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) defines intangible cultural heritage as “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith - that communities, groups, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage” .

Interest in Ghana’s cultural scene has steadily grown over the years, aligning with growing international interest in African art such as the Adinkra symbols, kente cloth, festivals and music, particularly music.

Over the years, Aboakyer Festival of Winneba, Street Masquerade Carnival of Takoradi, Chale Wote Street Arts Festival and Christmas in Ghana have attracted both local and international artists and patrons. AfroFuture, formerly known as Afrochella, is one of the widely known musical festivals in sub-Saharan Africa.

These popular programmes of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) have ignited the curiosity of Ghanaians and international visitors in exploring Ghana through music, dance, fashion and promoted the “See Ghana, Wear Ghana” initiatives. Properly harnessed, these initiatives can contribute to rapid economic growth and employment. However, the sector faces several policy challenges. 

Cultural Policy  

According to UNESCO, there are three related UNESCO Conventions on Culture and Heritage, namely: Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) that deal with the performing arts and the creative industry.

UNESCO and the European Union occasionally give financial support for the development of the performing arts and the creative industry. 

The cultural policy of Ghana is set “to enhance Ghanaian cultural life, to contribute to the nation’s human development and material progress through heritage preservation, conservation, promotion and the use of traditional modern arts and crafts to create wealth and alleviate poverty”. 

In spite of the Constitution and the Directive Principles of State Policy and statements in the manifestos of the two major political parties—New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), it has been observed over the past years that the performing arts and the creative economy have not made any significant contribution to GDP.

Creative Economy

The creative economy (also known as the Orange Economy) consists of economic activities that depend on individuals, using their creativity to create jobs, revenue, community resources and cultural engagement. It comprises activities such as advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, research and development, software development, toys and games, television, radio and video games.

In the world of today, the performing arts and creative industry play a vital role in the general economy of various developing countries.

Ghana has a vibrant performing arts, culture and creative industry that can make a substantial contribution to GDP. However, the sector has not been fully and rationally harnessed to effectively contribute to GDP, partly due to lack of clarity of rational policies. 

Policy as a Maximum Social Gain

A rational policy is one that achieves ‘maximum social gain’: that is, the government should choose policies resulting in gains to society that exceed costs by the greatest amount and should refrain from policies if costs exceed gains.

There are two important guidelines in this definition of maximum social gain. First, no policy should be adopted if its costs exceed its benefits.

Second, among policy alternatives, decision-makers should choose the policy that produces the greatest benefit over cost. 

Actors in Implementation

The Maiden Annual Conference of the Performing Arts (ACPA) was recently hosted at the British Council on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, under the auspices of the National Theatre, on the theme: “A Rich Performing Arts Industry: The Role of Public Policy.” After a series of workshops and seminars, the National Theatre again organised another event on October 3, 2024 to honour and appreciate industry players to climax the Annual Conference of the Performing Arts, 2024.

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), according to its policy statement, is responsible for the performing arts and the creative industry and it “exists to create a conducive environment for sustainable growth and development of the sector to enable it to contribute to GDP through effective and efficient use of appropriate policies, plans, programmes and initiatives”. 

The policy also entails “establishing and maintaining public-private partnerships with the Diaspora in order to increase resource mobilisation and investment”. 

The successful Year of Return and Beyond the Return campaigns have undeniably propelled Ghana’s tourism sector forward.

Challenges

First, a profession in the performing arts and the creative industry has often been seen in Ghana as a last resort for those who have failed in life.

Therefore, many parents would like their wards and children to study to become doctors, engineers, pharmacists, nurses, etc. 

However, a profession in the performing arts and the creative industry presents to the youth of today a plethora of income generating avenues and opportunities that can be leveraged for self-employment. 

Another challenge of the sector is lack of data and reliable information, including statistical data and market-related industry intelligence tools. 

In 2024, Parliament approved GH¢175.39M for MOTAC. The allocation was intended to support the ministry’s efforts in promoting Ghana’s cultural values through tourism and creative arts. Breaking down the budget, GH¢31.1M was earmarked for management and administration, GH¢13.1M for tourism product development, GH¢11.44M for tourism research and marketing, GH¢12.14M for tourism facilities and monitoring and GH¢107.63M for culture, creative arts and heritage management. Ostensibly, nothing was allocated for creative economy.

Conclusion

Starting from 2025, the MoTAC must re-evaluate the respective, individual policies, programmes and projects of the 13 agencies under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework with the view to identifying key areas of weaknesses and strengths and realign their activities in order to combine agencies that duplicate each other.

Agencies that seem to have outlived their period of usefulness must be abolished. 

Writer’s email:hilifeinstitute42@gmail.com