A section of the participants
A number of Ghanaian celebrities thronged Kempinski Hotel in Accra for a masterclass organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Creative Arts Council, Beyond the Return Secretariat and the Bridge Zone Africa.
Themed ‘Black Stories Matter: Forging Collaborations for the Development of Ghana’s Creative Industry’, the event, held on September 30, 2020 was attended by actors, musicians and television personalities including Pauline Oduro, Kuami Eugene, Keche and Dada KD and actors Martha Ankomah, Salinko, Gloria Sarfo, Majid Michel, Roselyn Ngissah, Bill Asamoah and Pascaline Edwards.
Also present were James Gardiner, Jackie Appiah, Timothy Bentum, Elikem The Tailor, Fred Kyei Mensah, Abrantie the fashion designer.
The panel included Professor Eleanor Earl, a film lecturer at the Hampton University, Chris Roland, Vasall Benford, Lamann Rucker, Baron Davis, Etu Evans, Shelby Stone, Asante Bradford, RJ Bucaria and Philonese West.
Moderated by TV host, Ivy Prosper, the masterclass was the brainchild of Prince Anthony Bart-Appiah, a Royal and grandson of the QueenMother of Akwamu traditional area and the CEO of TheBridgezone – an organization which seeks to bridge the gap between Africa and African Americans through collaborations and partnership.
‘Beyond the Return’ is a 10-year initiative with the theme ‘A Decade of African Renaissance.’ The project builds on the success of the ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019,’ which was a major landmark spiritual and birth-right journey inviting the Global African family home and abroad to Ghana to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first documented enslaved Africans in Jamestown, ‘Beyond The Return’ will grow Ghana’s tourism industry, showcase its investment potential, and solidify its global diaspora engagement programs.
The Beyond the Return initiative has provided the rare opportunity for Ghanaian and African-American creatives to explore the many possibilities for collaboration in the areas of film, television, fashion, gaming, animation, music, and more.
