Emmanuel Antwi, Joann Thompson, Kwabena Afriyie Poku (2025)

Cultural policies hold a crucial place in nation-building on several levels; however, they risk becoming obsolete over time, which can impede national cohesion and hinder overall progress if they are not regularly updated. This paper examines the fundamental role of art and cultural policy frameworks in nation-building, highlighting their impact on social cohesion, economic development, and the construction of national identity. The authors emphasise that the periodic revision of this framework is essential for addressing the changing needs of society, ensuring cultural relevance, and fostering inclusive growth. Through a detailed analysis of existing literature and relevant case studies from both developing and developed nations, this research underscores the importance of adaptive cultural policies in promoting cultural diversity, creativity, and innovation. The study demonstrates successful examples from various contexts while also identifying shortcomings in the current state of cultural policies. The findings offer strategic insights for policymakers, cultural institutions, artists, scholars, community organisations, and educational institutions.

Reuben Agbelengor Glover, Adolph Hillary Agbo, Michael Ato Essuman, Samuel Teye Daitey (2025)

Academic integrity in creative arts education remains an underexplored domain, particularly concerning contract cheating in applied arts, where traditional assessment frameworks prioritise textual knowledge over experiential, process-driven artistic practice. This study critically examines the epistemological bias inherent in institutional integrity policies, which often fail to account for the complexities of non-text-based disciplines, which poses significant challenges to authenticity and ethical practice in artistic disciplines. Drawing on their expertise as art educators, the researchers employ an art-based phenomenological approach within a hybridised descriptive-interpretive paradigm to examine academic disengagement in applied arts education, with specific attention to contract cheating. Findings reveal that cheating behaviours among creative arts students are shaped by a generational shift from valuing self to prioritising a performance-oriented self, a lack of authentic self-expression and the unethical use of technology in educational contexts. Findings further reveal a disconnect between institutional policies and the lived realities of artistic education, exacerbated by broad, text-centric definitions of misconduct. This study highlights the critical gap in academic integrity research, where discussions on contract cheating predominantly focus on conventional text-based disciplines, overlooking the complexities inherent in creative arts education.This paper advocates for a discipline-sensitive, pedagogically responsive, and institutionally adaptive approach to academic integrity, promoting assessment methodologies that align with the experiential and creative processes central to artistic scholarship.

Taiye Shola Adeola (2025)

Nigerian gospel music has evolved into a distinct genre within the Nigerian music scene, marked by a unique blend of African rhythmic elements, Western harmonic structures, and Christian theological themes. As a dynamic and expressive art form, it employs various musical forms and compositional devices to engage audiences, convey spiritual messages, evoke emotion, and inspire devotion. Although scholarly attention has been given to its historical, sociological, textual, and theological dimensions, its structural and compositional elements remain underexplored. This study applies musical semiotic theory, viewing music as a symbolic language, to identify and analyse musical forms, notate selected examples, and examine compositional techniques in Nigerian gospel music. Using a qualitative methodology, it employs cultural hermeneutics, content and discographical analysis, and musicological approaches. Findings reveal recurring formal structures and distinctive compositional devices employed by gospel musicians, shaped by performance context and socio-cultural realities. The study concludes that Nigerian gospel music continues to grow in influence and calls for greater scholarly attention to its structural and aesthetic dimensions.

Emmanuel Joel Ayu Nyarko (2025)

This study examined the absence of culturally appropriate films for maternal health education in Ghana, where maternal mortality remains a critical concern. Grounded in semiotics and the Persuasive Health Message (PHM) framework, this research employs studio-based and qualitative methods to develop a culturally relevant educational film. During pre-production, consultations with health officers and pregnant women helped define educational objectives, identify audience needs and preferences, and determine suitable styles and formats. Feedback was systematically integrated throughout the production to refine the film’s form and content. The final film, which blends fictional and nonfictional elements, aligns with the instructional approach commonly used in pregnancy schools. The final film’s syntagmatic structure conveys themes of threat, severity, susceptibility, efficacy, barriers, and rewards, while paradigmatic elements include relatable characters, colour schemes, lighting, sound effects, and compositing techniques that enhance cultural relevance and emotional engagement. The study concludes that the film serves as an educational resource on maternal education for maternal health officers in Ghana. Future research should assess its impact on knowledge acquisition, perceptions, and health behaviours among the target audience. This study gives insight and extends knowledge on the significance of integrating semiotics and PHM in film production practices for film-based health education production in Ghana.

Isaac Horsu, Ernest Kwasi Amponsah, Ahyia Amankwah (2025)

In African tradition and culture, myths and rituals are two inseparably pieces of social life. These two phenomena have been aspects or part of the society from generation to generation through oral literature as well as being practiced or performed at ceremonies. African literature, especially plays, feature these traditions to reflect the social life of the people. Based on Martin Owusu’s The Legend of Aku Sika, this study explores the employment of myths and rituals as aspects of human existence and human society albeit through the lens of ritual theory. The study is purposed to explore, myth, and ritual events exhibited by characters in the play. The evidences of myths and rituals in the play are identified and analysed with content analysis as an approach. The play exhibits the rich use of mythology in alignment with rituals right from its commencement to the end. Based on the discussions, it emerged that, there is serious interplay between mythology and rituals and they both have been able to create a unique phenomenon that has established a tradition that distinguishes the culture of the African people from other cultures. The beauty of the African tradition and culture, that of the Akan (Ghana) in particular, is seen to be espoused in the play The Legend of Aku Sika as identified by the study. It is summarily concluded that oral literature and culture that has provided a conducive environment within which myths and rituals have festered are core elements in the play The Legend of Aku Sika, proving that myths and rituals are integral part of the human existence especially the African.

Joseph Essuman, Festus Danso Gyamfi, Patrique deGraft-Yankson (2025)

The printing industry in Ghana plays a vital role in economic development but is increasingly scrutinised for its environmental and social impact. Despite global momentum toward sustainable enterprise models, limited research exists on how Ghanaian printing firms integrate economic, environmental, and social goals. This study addresses that gap by investigating the sustainability practices of printing enterprises in Accra using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory, it explores the perspectives of press owners as key actors influencing sustainable practices within the sector. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and observation. Twelve experienced participants were purposively selected from three major printing hubs: Accra New Town (5), Kokomlemle (4), and Kotobabi (3). Findings show that economic priorities dominate operational decisions, while environmental efforts are limited due to financial and regulatory barriers. Social responsibility varies by enterprise size, with larger firms demonstrating more structured CSR engagement. Furthermore, inconsistent stakeholder involvement has led to gaps in policy implementation. The study concludes that embedding sustainability into operational strategies is essential for long-term sector resilience. It recommends strengthening stakeholder collaboration, implementing policy incentives to support green practices, and raising awareness of sustainable business models. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability advocates aiming to advance responsible business practices in Ghana’s printing sector.

Nana Yaw Gyapong (2024)

This study investigates the visual identity management knowledge and practices of two small-scale companies, which have guaranteed their progressive development. The investigation employed a case study research design, following a qualitative research approach. The sample consisted of two companies located in the Accra metropolis that are owned by Ghanaians. A semi-structured interview was used as the data collection instrument. Qualitative content analysis revealed that the leaders of the companies studied knew a lot about visual identity and had set up a key mechanism to ensure that the companies’ visual identities were managed well. It is recommended that the companies’ leadership continue to update their knowledge of visual identity and support their visual identity management practices with regular research and monitoring.

Rosemary Quarcoo (2024)

There are several studies on teaching methods and its impact on Clothing and Textiles in tertiary and basic schools but not in Senior High Schools and not on general teaching strategies. This study therefore investigated the suitability and impact of teaching strategies used in teaching Clothing and Textiles at Senior High School level of education in Ghana. Research questions that guided the study were: What are the teaching methods used in teaching Clothing and Textiles in Senior High Schools in Ghana? What is the impact of teaching methods on learning Clothing and Textiles in SHS in Ghana? What is the impact of other teaching strategies on teaching and learning of clothing and Textiles and H01: There is no statistically significant difference in the test scores of students taught theory lessons and students taught practical lessons. Eighteen schools, four hundred and seventy eight students and twenty three teachers were selected using stratified sampling, purposive sampling and random sampling techniques. Observation, test and questionnaires were used to collect data. The study revealed that, there are three dominant instructional strategies currently used to facilitate C&T lessons in SHSs across Ghana namely demonstration method, discussion method and question and answer method. Students who were taught practically (M =57.71) were found to do better than their counterparts thought theoretically. (M=49.53). There is a statistical difference between the performance of students taught practically and those taught theoretically with p value =.000. The report of the study indicates that, students disagreed they were exposed to good teaching strategies (M=1.73, SD=0.33) and (M=1.69, SD=0.22). It was recommended that, Clothing and Textiles teachers should: use modern teaching methods to enhance teaching and learning; teach concepts practically to improve learning outcomes; introduce students to adequate Clothing and Textiles textbooks to enhance teaching and learning and should assess students during and after instructions to enhance effective learning.

Leticia Naabano Takpo, Matilda Quainoo (2024)

This paper explores the challenges and prospects of sustaining Anlee and Kↄↄre music, two traditional genres performed by the Dagaaba women of Sankana in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Historically, these musical traditions played a pivotal role in the social and cultural life of the community. However, they have faced a steep decline in recent times. This decline raises pressing concerns about the preservation of cultural identity and heritage. Adopting a qualitative research approach, data were collected through interview, participant observation and focus group discussions. These primary sources were further complemented by secondary materials, including library resources and internet-based references. The findings revealed that, while Anlee and Kↄↄre music are at risk of extinction, the women of Sankana have recognised their cultural significance and are actively implementing strategies to revive and sustain these traditions. Some of the challenges for their decline are modernity, intertribal marriages and rural-to-urban migration. The study emphasises that music remains an integral part of the Dagaaba people’s cultural identity and serves as a vital connection to their heritage. This research underscores the urgency of safeguarding indigenous musical forms to preserve the cultural heritage of the Dagaaba for future generations. It also highlights the challenges posed by modernisation and social transformation while shedding light on the resilience and efforts of the women in protecting their musical traditions. The study contributes to the broader discourse on cultural sustainability and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.

Andrew Yinintete Bamongya, Benjamin Oduro Arhin Jnr, Emmanuel Obed Acquah (2024)

This research paper investigated the extent to which the music and dance component of the creative arts curriculum has been implemented in primary schools in the Effutu Municipality. It highlighted the feasibility and effectiveness of the implementation process. The study aims to contribute to the development of a comprehensive creative arts curriculum in Ghanaian primary schools, thereby enhancing pupils’ academic and artistic abilities. The study used the qualitative research paradigm with case study as the design. Data were collected through observations and interviews and the participants included six (6) teachers from two conveniently selected public schools in the Effutu Municipality. Data analysis was conducted using Patton’s (2002) strategies. The findings revealed several factors hindering the successful implementation of the music and dance components of the Creative Arts curriculum, including inadequate teaching and learning resources including musical instruments as well as lack of qualified music teachers with the competent knowledge to implement the curriculum. The study underscores the need for government and stakeholders of the primary school curriculum to engage actively in addressing these issues through organising refresher courses, providing the necessary teaching and learning resources and rethinking teacher competence in this discipline.