Creative Arts potential for economic growth

A research officer at the Copyright Office in Kumasi has stated that the creative arts sector remains a largely untapped resource despite the strong potential for the country’s economic growth, jobs and wealth creation.

James Owusu-Ansah had disclosed that the economic potentials of the creative sector have not been recognised because there is an insufficient understanding of the dynamics that underlie creative arts and of their wider impact on the economy and society.

Speaking at the press launch and his new album exhibition in Kumasi, the Copyright research officer indicated that creative arts had proved to be more resilient than most of the country’s natural resources that were fast depleting.

In his view, besides their direct contribution to growth and jobs, the creative arts also have numerous indirect impacts like stimulating innovation and the creation of new products, new processes or social innovation and patterns.

Mr Owusu-Ansah, therefore, appealed to people in the creative community to come together to work towards building a vibrant creative business as a non-traditional export sector.

“Natural resources like gold, timber and cocoa that made some of our people prosperous are gradually depleting. But the emergence of copyright industry in Ghana could be the best substitute because the nation has untapped creative potentials that could generate employment and create wealth,” the new artist, popularly known as Blackman, submitted.

The event attracted high calibre of people, including legendary Agya Koo Nimo and Mr Kwaku Frimpong, Ashanti regional director of Legal Aid Scheme.

Agya Koo Nimo played one of his timeless hit soundtrack ‘?wuo t?ne ade? t? bi’ in memory of the late Kwaku Kwarteng, a prolific musician.

Blackman told BEATWAVES that his album titled ‘Jehovah’, which is ultimately aimed at producing good music, was out to break gospel and secular barriers.