Gov’t To Create New Office For Creative Art Secretariat-Tourism Minister

The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon Catherine A. Afeku, has hinted of the establishment of a new office for the Creative Art Secretariat that will serve the Ghana Actors’ Guild (GAG) and other identified organisations in the creative art industry.

“We are trying to get an office space but it will be an office space for all the creative sector organisations. It’s a creative art secretariat which will encompass MUSIGA, GAG, GHAMRO and all the other mushrooms will be under one umbrella as Art, Creativity and Culture so that you are not seen as a disembodied group,” she stated.

She said this during a courtesy call paid her by the new executives of the Ghana Actors’ Guild at the Ministry.

The sector Minister indicated that government have made some progress adding that “I’d like to talk about things when they are officially ready the reason you have not heard anything about it in the media. We will commission the secretariat so that everybody will know that you now have a place.”

According to her, the facility is not going to be an office for the GAG but an office for the creative art secretariat which encompasses GHAMRO, MUSIGA and others.

Catherine A. Afeku bemoaned the too many fragmented organisations in the arts industry indicating that it borders her.

“Ghana Actors’ Guild is a part and parcel of our lives in the country and leadership is key because you are the creative arm of the industry and if there is no unity you can’t be creative enough,” she intimated.

The sector Minister noted the threats of telenovela’s and the things that have overshadowed our local talents which is part of the distress call by members to use dialogue means to showcase their rich talents to the world through the private mediums.

In view of that, the sector Minister emphasised that the result of the dialogue she had with actors and actresses at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi some few days ago to discuss problems facing the movie industry in the country was the mention of a dedicated movie channel that will meet competition.

“We are working already and we need some inroads and when it happens you will be the first people to know so we can have our own TV channel to make our industry commercially viable. The Ministry can only work with the private sector to make some of these things happen for you,” she posited.

Catherine A. Afeku advised GAG to create an insurance cover for members throughout the industry so that they don’t go about destroying the dignity of their institution by begging for support when a member falls sick or dies.

“So if it’s Gh1 for actor’s insurance or creative art insurance there are private sector insurance companies that will jump at it so that at the end of your career you will have funds to support yourself or when you are down by illness,” she stressed.

The sector Minister urged the new leadership of GAG to reach out to other organisations in the industry to find a suitable date to discuss ideas with her outfit that will promote the God given talents of the creative art industry.

The President of the Ghana Actors’ Guild, Samuel Fiscian said the new leadership of GAG is critically looking towards working to attain a well organized and rebranded GAG one that is attractive to all performers within the country.

He indicated that they cannot achieve this alone without the support of the sector Ministry to redevelop the industry.

“We shall be very grateful if you can look at getting us a befitting office space an issue which is of paramount interest to us. There are quite a number of needs which we shall be running to you again,” he stated.