Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
• Emphasizes creative space's role in addressing unprofessionalism and irresponsibility.
• Urges active participation of creatives, especially celebrated ones.
• Expected special focus on Culture between 2023 and 2024.
Prior his appointment as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku-Mantey held the notion that the problem of the creative sector was structural but now, he differs from that thought. He observed that the problem of the sector is not really the structures and infrastructure we advocate for but rather the culture of unprofessionalism, bad-mouthing and irresponsibility on the part of players in the creative space.
The Deputy Minister made this remark during a conversation with the newly elected Functional Executive Committee of the Ghana Culture Forum at his office in Accra last Tuesday, 2nd May 2023.
He also bemoaned the ill-participation of creatives in the activities of the sector that is purported to be theirs. He reiterated that, he has observed that generally, cultural practitioners fail to show up for programmes and activities that are held specially for them. He noted that when it came to advocating for issues of the creative space, it was always the usual faces. He added that the issues of the creative space cannot be dispelled by a volunteering few. “Creatives must carry their own cross” – he admitted. He urged all creatives, especially “the celebrated few” to actively get involved with the activities and programmes as their participation tend to make greater impact.
He opined that, unfortunately the phenomenon of poor-participation together with the culture and attitude of creatives make it difficult for policymakers or corporate society to take the creative sector seriously. Having actively participated in the creative sector and now privileged to be operating at the seat of government or decision-makers, he has been privy to many instances where creatives continue to deepen the plight of the sector by their sheer display of unprofessionalism, irresponsibility and indifference.
As an active player in the creative space prior to his appointment as Deputy Minister, Hon. Okraku-Mantey was pleased to have had his boss, Hon. Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, assented to the collaboration and support for the subsequent Ghana Culture Day celebrations, a flagship festival of the Ghana Culture Forum. He added also that the Ministry has a special focus on Culture between 2023 and 2024. He was therefore, was hopeful of many more collaboration with the Ghana Culture Forum between those years.
