Black Star Experience Secretariat holds Regional Stakeholder Engagement; Announces National Choral Contest

As part of the measures of broadening the scope and impact of the Black Star Experience, the coordinator Mr. Rex Owusu Marfo and the entire secretariat engaged relevant stakeholders and partners across the Western and Central Regions.

Held under the theme, “Enhancing National Understanding and Ownership of the Black Star Experience”, the two engagements which took place on 30th September at Western Region and 2nd October at Central Region respectively, brought together Members of Parliament, Municipal, Metropolitan and District officials, traditional leaders, creatives, and among others.

In his opening remarks, the coordinator Mr. Rex Owusu Marfo expressed gratitude to the stakeholders for the support and cooperation extended to the secretariat. According to him, the stakeholders are the pivotal and key partners of the Black Star Experience, and without their support and knowledge success won’t be achieved.

Highlighting the significance of the engagement, Mr. Marfo indicated that measures have been outlined to ensure implementation of the various policies. He also disclosed activities including the recently launched Black Star Comedy Experience, the upcoming Black Star fashion week and summit, the Choral contest, and among others.

He emphasised that the well-planned activities forms part of the national reset agenda by President John Dramani Mahama, and also geared towards promoting the cultures of the various ethnicities.

The Western Regional engagement recorded strong participation from key stakeholders and community representatives. The National Commission on Culture represented, including chiefs and queen mothers. Pastors and other faith-based representatives participated in the engagement.

Heads and representatives of choral groups from across the region also attended in their numbers, demonstrating significant interest and support for the national choral music initiative.

On his part, the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson commended the secretariat by indicating that the Black Star Experience offers Ghana a platform to tell its own story to itself and to the world, stressing that national ownership is key to its success. He noted that the initiative goes beyond tourism.

“The Black Star Experience offers Ghana an opportunity to tell its story, both to itself and to the world. But for that story to resonate, Ghanaians must first understand, value, and own it,” he said.

Hon. Nelson further stated that the Western Region has a rich contribution to make with its traditional institutions, festivals, music, cuisine, coastline and creative talents, adding that the task is to preserve these assets and create opportunities for communities who are custodians of the stories.

He emphasised that the initiative also promotes national unity, patriotism and collective belonging, calling for stakeholder ownership involving government, MMDAs, traditional authorities, private sector and the media.

“When we recognise that the diverse histories and cultures of our regions are all chapters of one Ghanaian story, we strengthen our collective sense of belonging,” he added.

The Central Regional engagement which happened on 2nd October, also brought together a broad range of key stakeholders.

Present were the Regional Minister, Hon. Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, the Mayor, Members of Parliament (MPs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), representatives of the National Commission on Culture, and the Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Charles Buabin.

The Regional Chairman of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Clarence Kenneth Ekow Pieterson was also present, alongside other stakeholders and representatives from the creative and cultural sectors.

According to the Black Star Experience, both regional engagements provided an opportunity to bring together government representatives, traditional leaders, faith-based leaders, cultural institutions, musicians, choral groups and other key stakeholders to support the objectives of the Black Star Experience and the national choral music contest.

The Black Star Choral Music Contest is a signature project under the Music

Pillar of the Black Star Experience. It is designed to discover, develop and

promote exceptional choral music talents from every region of Ghana, while fostering national unity, cultural pride and creative excellence. The competition will begin at the regional level, where choral groups from schools, churches, tertiary institutions, communities and other organised bodies will compete for the opportunity to represent their regions at the national finals in Accra.

Through this structured progression, the contest seeks to create a sustainable national platform that celebrates choral music as an important component of Ghana’s cultural identity.

According to the BSE, Beyond competition, the initiative serves as a vehicle for talent development, cultural preservation, creative industry growth and national engagement. It provides an opportunity for participants to gain exposure, improve their artistic skills and contribute to the promotion of Ghanaian music and culture on both national and international stages.