Tourism Ministry to launch magazine to project Ghana’s cultural heritage

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture would on August 31 launch a new magazine entitled “See Ghana Magazine” and Tourism TV, to highlight and project the country’s tourism attractions and cultural heritage.

The printing of the magazine has been outsourced to CLITI Magazine and would be sold at the various newsstands for GHc10.00 per copy and would be published on monthly or quarterly basis.

Madam Catherine Abelema Afeku, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Friday that, complimentary copies of the magazine would be given to embassies and high commissions as well as planes for free.

The Minister outlined a number of activities her outfit had put in place to project the creative arts and entertainment industry from August to November this year.

She mentioned the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) which started on August 11, and would end on Saturday, August 18, with on-going activities such as film screening, workshops and panel discussions.

She noted that BSIFF is a non-profit organisation creating global connections through film and helping to bridge the gap between African cinema and the world.

It is a festival focused on the business of film and advocacy in the region. Its goal is to create a platform where filmmakers can learn, network, do business and celebrate their craft within an African context.

The Minister also mentioned the hosting of the African Tourism Leadership Forum slated for August 30-31 in Accra, with six African ministers confirming their participation.

Madam Afeku said the Ministry would support this year’s Chale Wote Street Art Festival with GHc300, 000, which is slated for August 25-26.

She said it would provide security to safeguard the safety of patrons at the event, adding that, last year about 30,000 people patronised it, which had projected the country’s creative arts potentials positively to the global audience.

“We’re giving them financial support, publicity and the Ministry’s ambit because it’s one of the major festivals for young people to showcase their visual and creative arts skills and increase the package to one million Ghana Cedis,”Madam Afeku disclosed.

The Festival is an alternative platform that brings art, music, design, dance and performance out into the streets.

The community-based festival takes place in James Town - one of Accra’s most historic communities and targets exchanges between Ghana-based and international artists creating and appreciating art together, she said.

Over the last eight years, it has transformed the City of Accra into the most active cultural hub in the West Africa Sub-region and inspired possibilities in public space design through community supported cultural production.

The Minister added that Ghana would also host this year’s All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) from November 14-17, which is being organised by the Government of Ghana in collaboration with the African Union and AFRIMA Secretariat.

AFRIMA is designed to promote the distinct rich African music worldwide, engaging millions of fans by propelling African music to glorious pinnacles beyond the borders of Africa.

The Minister said the unveiling of AFRIMA celebration was done in May, this year, noting that, Ghana had been given the hosting rights for the next three years.

She said representative of arts and entertainment industry from 54 African countries are expected to perform at the ceremony.

She said a number of music concerts would be held in some African countries as prelude to the actual music awards ceremony in Accra, noting that, the music concert planned to take place at the Independence Square was expected to attract over 100,000 audience.

She said business summit on entertainment and creative arts industry would also be organised, while an awards night would climax the celebration.

According to her, the activities of AFRIMA would be shown on Dstv, which would attract over 80 million viewership worldwide and expose the country tourism potentials to global audience.

She said the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) slated for November 16-24 in the Eastern Regional Capital of Koforidua would showcase the rich cultural heritage of the country from all the ten regions.

She said the Ministry had decided to project a festival from each region because those festivals could project the rich cultural heritage of Ghana.

Madam Afeku noted that most of the creative arts activities would be funded by private corporate entities and the Ghana Tourism Authority would however support the African Tourism Leadership Forum while the marketing agencies of the Ministry would provide financial support to the World Tourism Day celebration (Kwahu Paragliding Festival).

She said funding for NAFAC would be done by the Ministry, while the nation would take 50 per cent of the cost of the All Africa Music Award and the private sector would foot the rest of the 50 per cent.

The Minister noted that the hosting rights for AFRIMA was US$250,000 and believed it would bring a lot of benefits to the nation, especially the private sector in terms of patronage of beverage, textiles, accommodation and food and, therefore, urged private entities to support it.

Earlier this year, the Ministry organised the West African Integrated Travel and World Tourism Day.