Wa, Nov. 25, GNA - The National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) 2006, which brought together about 700 artistes and exhibitors from all the 10 regions to showcase cultures of the various ethnic groups ended at Wa in the Upper West Region on Saturday. The one-week event witnessed variety of activities that included dance and drama performances, exhibition of indigenous products, seminar on HIV/AIDS, performances by concert party groups from Accra, a mock Parliament staged by school children and a colloquium on gender and development.
A total of 30 events were staged and patronized by a minimum of 2,000 people at each event while events organised in the evenings attracted an average of 600 people per event.
NAFAC 2005 under the theme: "Culture, a Vehicle for Wealth Creation", should have been held last year but due to financial constraints it was rescheduled for this year.
The "Bayile" dance group from Sissala East District in the Upper West Region, whose performance climaxed the closing session, for the second time during the festival, created gory pictures in the minds of the audience when the dancers in the heat of their performance, killed a dog and took turns to suck its blood and devour its raw meat. People who could not withstand the spectacle had to turn their eyes away while others covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs. Some District Chief Executives were seen moving away from their seats when the dancers moved towards them with the carcass, as blood dripped from their mouths.
The group had on Thursday staged a similar performance with a live goat. Professor George Panyin Hagan, Chairman of National Commission on Culture, giving an overview of the festival, urged future organizers of NAFAC to recognize the potentials of the physically challenged persons and include them in the programme of activities. He said hosting the festival in the Upper West Region although delayed by a year due to lack of funds, served as the best vehicle to convey the cultural and human resources of the region to the rest of the country and the world.
Professor Hagan suggested to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council to study the prospect of organizing a biennial xylophone festival and invite neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and La Cote D'ivoire to participate.
He said crafts village would be included in the new office complex for the Centre for National Culture in Wa to create a tourist destination of significance in the region. Professor Hagan announced that an open air theatre would be constructed for the region to serve as a venue for some of the activities planned for Ghana's Golden Jubilee celebrations in the region.
Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to Non-Governmental Organizations, corporate bodies and individuals with interest in the arts and culture, to complement Government's efforts to fund and organise such festivals.
He said the festival had opened a window of opportunity that had projected culture and the many areas of untapped resources in the region and the nation.
Cardinal Peter Dery, Professor Emeritus J.H. Nketiah and Kakraba Lobi were honoured as "Fathers of Culture" for their contribution to the development of music in the country. Ashanti Region would host the festival next year as part of Ghana's Golden Jubilee celebration. 25 Nov. 06
