‘We are up to the Atuu Festival task’

Organisers of the upcoming Atuu Festival of Arts (AFA) which will embrace  several facets of  artistic activity, say it  is not an attempt  to take on more than they can handle and that they are poised to deliver a world-class exposition.

The festival will be launched at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra on August 19.  Scheduled to happen at various venues across the country with the climax planned for Accra in August next year, AFA  will embrace music, cinema, books, paintings, sculpture, drama, fashion, handicrafts and other art forms.

 It is being organised by the  Joint Committee of Collection Management Organisations (JCCMOs) which comprise the Audiovisual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG), Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) and the Reprographic  Rights Organisation of Ghana  (COPYGHANA).

Mr Asare Yamoah, the  JCCMOs Chairman told The Mirror on the sidelines of a media interaction in Accra that the festival is only a platform for the three different organisations to plan and showcase their uniqueness based on guidelines from the overarching body.

“The three collection management organisations have their hands in a wide array of creative ventures.  The festival’s aims include unearthing  new talents for job creation and offering forums for effective networking.

“So each organisation will bring its own programmes on board to help achieve the overall targets and we are confident we will deliver something worth all the effort put in so far,” Mr  Yamoah said.

He pointed out that the festival which will be a biennial affair will eventually have a permanent secretariat which will vigorously see to its survival and advancement.

According to Mr Yamoah, planning for the festival started last year and they felt it was time to outdoor it to the world.

Mr Rex Omar of GHAMRO  also stated at the media interaction that AFA will be a big arts market for practitioners with different persuasions to expose their talents and seek recognition for growth.

Eminent Ghanaian art scholar, artist and founder of the Artists Alliance Gallery,  Prof Ablade Glover,  will deliver the keynote address at the festival launch.