Benjamin Oduro Arhin Jnr, Emmanuel Obed Acquah, Ernest Kwesi Amponsah, Alfred Patrick Addaquay, Andrew Yenintete Bamongya, Richardson Commeyfio (2024)

This paper is aimed at exploring the role of creative artists in promoting traditional cultural tourism in Ghana. It is premised on the fact that, the full potential of traditional cultural tourism remains underdeveloped in spite of the rich cultural heritage and the abundance of creative talent in Ghana. This situation hinders the capacity of creative artists to significantly contribute to the growth of cultural tourism, social entrepreneurship, and economic development, although, some creative artists in the industry are contributing without being noticed. Traditional knowledge and cultural expressions have been at the forefront of cultural tourism, which is embedded in the folklore of any society. Folklore has been the intangible asset that has driven many people’s tastes for cultural tourism and the role of the creative artist can shape and forge a new dimension to create a creative economy for sustainable development and for social entrepreneurship, and business opportunities for community and national economic impact. The study dwells on a qualitative approach reviewing archival materials with observations and interviews to seek a deeper understanding of the role of creative artistes and artists in promoting cultural tourism using their creative skills as economic agents. Using convenient purposive sampling, thirty participants were interviewed and it came to the known that creative artists are packaging beverages, using waste materials uniquely, traditional festivals, traditional music, and traditional entertainment creatively needing government’s support to scale it for socioeconomic impact.

Stephen Aidoo (2024)

This paper interrogates the concept of standardisation in the development of the Ghanaian atɛntɛbɛn (bamboo flute) as an indigenous African musical instrument. The paper draws a clear distinction between the concepts of ‘Standardisation’ and ‘Westernisation ‘as it applies to the development of indigenous African musical instruments like the atɛntɛbɛn. The paper further explores the challenges (tuning, finishing and packaging) that the Atɛntɛbɛn and some other Ghanaian musical instruments face outside their primordial origins. To this end, ethnographic and case study designs were employed. The paper makes the point that applying Western sense of standardisation to the development of African musical instruments is bound to create problems in construction, usage and appreciation both within and outside the cultural context of the instrument.

Johnson Kwaku Edu (2024)

The initial design of the National Theatre of Ghana, created by Chinese and Ghanaian architects, lacked indigenous artwork in spite of its architectural grandeur and cultural significance. Later, sculptures and other art pieces were integrated to enhance the theatre’s cultural representation and highlight Ghanaian heritage. However, there is a gap in understanding the full significance and impact of these artworks on the theatre’s cultural landscape, which undermines their potential benefits in cultural preservation, national identity, tourism, and intercultural understanding. This study aimed to explore the contribution of these art pieces to the theatre’s cultural representation and their role in Ghanaian heritage. A historical case study design was used to examine the integration of art into the theatre’s environment. Purposive sampling selected knowledgeable participants, ensuring rich data collection through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive and narrative approaches provided a comprehensive analysis. Findings indicate that the sculptures and artworks at the National Theatre of Ghana play a crucial role in narrating Ghanaian stories and enhancing cultural representation. These visual narratives reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage, offering both locals and visitors a deeper connection to Ghanaian traditions and history. In conclusion, the incorporation of these artworks underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating indigenous artistic traditions as vital components of national identity and cultural heritage. The study highlights the potential of such artworks to foster pride and continuity among Ghanaians. Additionally, it suggests future research and practical applications, such as informing cultural policy, promoting tourism through the theatre’s unique artistic features, and fostering intercultural understanding through the appreciation of Ghanaian art.

John Francis Annan, Godfred Sackey & Portia Owusu (2024)

From historical roots in the castles, choral art music became entrenched within the fabric of various churches in Ghana, serving as a conduit for early Ghanaian composers to delve into music theory and composition. The significant contributions of these pioneers have inspired subsequent generations of church-based art music composers in Ghana, catalyzing the progressive evolution of the genre. Despite their profound contributions to Ghanaian musical heritage, church music composers like Sitsofe Kwame Ayi often remain overlooked within scholarly discourse and academic research. This underrepresentation diminishes the recognition of their artistic achievements and perpetuates a broader imbalance in the study of Ghanaian music history. In this study, the authors delve into the life and works of composer Sitsofe Kwame Ayi of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Ghana. Through a biographical lens, the study examines four of Ayi’s compositions: “Ka Hwɛ” (Taste and See), “Kyerɛ Wo Dɔ” (Show Your Love), “Tie Bi” (Listen), and “Suban Pa” (Good Character). Employing a purposive sampling technique, the research centres on interviews and document analysis as primary instruments for data collection. Through analysis of Ayi’s selected compositions, the study illuminates the composer’s adept navigation of domiciled intercultural influences within his music.

 Toyosi Morgan (2024)

Theatre activism is kaleidoscopic as it advocates for various issues in society with a universal trajectory – Change. In all aspects ranging from political to social, cultural, or economic, the main line of discourse transcends reprimanding, advocating with a provocative tone to alienate and instruct the audience, steering a course of action in society. It is however observed that in searching for the immediate ephemeral actions of laughter, tears, and jeers, many directors ignore the dramaturgical influences of performances based on the magnitude of the psychological and after-effects of such sociological events. This research, therefore, interrogates the directorial interpretations of Bolanle Austen-Peters and Ifeoma Fafunwa in the staging of ‘Man Enough’ and ‘Hear Word’ respectively. These selected works are analyzed and juxtaposed against the concept of theatre activism with an emphasis on the implication of theatrics and subtexts, particularly in the dialogues of the works. The study employs Diana Taylor and Kershaw Baz’s theoretical perspective which suggests that to judge the efficacy of performance, instead of using the audience and questionnaires which in the past are inconclusive, one should judge with the conditions of the performance as it is most likely to provide “efficacious results”. The study shows, therefore, that dialogue constitutes an important aspect of communication; hence, the message, as well as underlying associations, must likewise be structured for clarity in the avoidance of misinformation or misplaced priority. 

 John-Doe Dordzro (2024)

There has been a concern about the quality and depth of the musical outputs resulting from participation in school instrumental music programmes. In Ghana, the focus is on the level of technical ability exhibited by students and the extent to which instructors assist students in developing acceptable technical control over their musical instruments. Unfortunately, no study has been done in this area in Ghana. Employing a mixed method design with a sample of 10 Basic School Bands, the present study examines the impact of the two teaching strategies revealed in Dordzro (2021) (rote and staff notation methods), on students’ performance in terms of playing proficiency. Analysis of codes generated from videotapes of rehearsal sessions, field notes, and interviews revealed that teacher-directed instructional technique was the most utilised instructional strategy. Out of the ten bands, only two bands’ performance scores fell within the ‘average’ mark for tone/intonation. Four bands performed averagely well on technique and all ten bands performed ‘poorly’ on interpretation. There was a significant difference between the rehearsal strategies employed and students’ performance. There was also a strong positive relationship between performance scores and rehearsal observation scores. 

 Albert Dennis (2024)

 The African space is characterised by performances of diverse forms, and dance remains a cornerstone in this regard. Notably, contemporary dance has become widespread in Ghana, especially in Cape Coast, where its utilitarian and aesthetic forms are greatly appreciated. Costume, a vital visual element in performances, plays a key role in contemporary dance, where its stylistic representation adds to the depth and breadth of the performance. Unlike various traditional dances in Ghana associated with the use of specific costumes identified based on inspiring philosophical postulations that shaped the dance, the same cannot be said of costumes used for contemporary dance. Drawing on the qualitative method of inquiry and using the purposive sampling technique to sample three dance groups in Cape Coast, the study employed a semi-structured interview guide as an instrument to collect data to beam a search into practical considerations in designing costumes for contemporary dance performances in Cape Coast. The findings revealed that designing costumes for contemporary dance is not done in a vacuum but thrives on the colour of fabrics, the body size of performers, the dance movements involved, the motifs in the fabric used to construct costumes and finally, the cost of materials. With a treasure trove of findings, the study recommends that dance groups engage professional costumiers to costume their performances. Ultimately, the study contributes to scholarship on costume design for contemporary dance performances as it pertains to Cape Coast in particular and the Ghanaian experience. 

John Kofi Brewu, Steve Kquofi, Joshua Alfred Amuah, Daniel Darkwah Mensah (2024)

Since the inception of the Methodist Church Ghana, music has played a significant role in its liturgical activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different musical styles such as hymns, canticles, ebibindwom, danceable tunes as well as praises and worship songs in the liturgy of the Methodist Church Ghana on the attitudes of the congregants. The problem is why one has to include all these musical styles in the liturgy of the Church. The primary objective of this study was to document the influence of the various musical styles in the Methodist Church Ghana’s liturgy on the attitudes of the participants. This study used interviews of qualitative research to elicit primary data from respondents such as the Clergy, Laity, Choristers, Singing Band members, Praises and Worship team and members from the Christ Little Band who are conversant with these musical styles and also the practitioners of the various musical genres. The findings showed that music is as old as humanity and has always been employed for religious purposes. Music has influenced many people’s lives in a variety of ways, as Christians and Methodists by faith. The goal of learning the lyrics to hymns, canticles, ebibindwom, (African songs acquired by the Methodist Church) and other songs is to develop and support their faith in the Lord, which they emphasize in everything they do. They seek sustenance and confidence from God through songs and other forms of Christian worship. 

Mohammed Kwaku Baidoo, Cyril Etornam Adala, Charles Adu-Boachie (2024)

Curling, twisting and plaiting of fine pliable threads of precious metals and arranging them in a precise pattern after which it is fixed by soldering is the technique of filigree which is predominately used in jewellery making. Metalsmiths are sometimes restricted by objects that can be created using the filigree technique, due to its elaborate and yet delicate nature of the technique, which only allows for the creation of big size objects by using of a lesser amount of metal. Hence, the study aimed at exploring a new materials and methods for the preservation of the filigree techniques by determining whether the limitations in producing artefacts other than jewellery-scaled design irrespective of the sizes and the design could be overcome. This was achieved by applying the filigree technique in jewellery making to design and produce a life-sized photorealistic bust. The researchers used the studio-based methods under the qualitative research approach. The results of the study contradict the notion that application of filigree technique in metal crafts is confined to jewellery-scaled designs. On the contrary, metalsmiths and jewellers stand the chance of producing any artefacts with filigree techniques if they adopt proper workshop practices with right materials, notwithstanding the design and size of the artwork to be produced. This means that thinking of a filigree technique for a specific work has to be broaden based on the principles of the design in terms of its function, aesthetics, cost and support not forgetting its practicality, operability, protection as well as safety. It is hereby suggested that further studies should be carried out to ascertain if the filigree technique can be combined with other techniques such as granulation, etching, casting as well as chasing and Repoussé techniques for the creation of metal artefacts other than jewellery and its related items. 

Mercy Ampofowa Osei, Ninnette Afi Appiah, Ebenezer Kofi Howard, Benjamin Kwabla Asinyo (2023)

This study aims to investigate the role of competitiveness in the dynamics of globalisation and performance of SMEs in Ghana’s garment manufacturing sector. Employing a quantitative research design, the study analyzes survey data collected from members of the Ghana National Dressmakers and Tailors Association (GNDTA) who are registered with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) database across major industrial cities: Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. Among a sample of 204 conveniently selected respondents, it was observed that globalisation has a notable impact on enterprise performance. Additionally, competitiveness emerged as a significant factor influencing enterprise performance. Furthermore, the study found that competitiveness acts as a mediator, explaining the relationship between globalisation and enterprise performance. In summary, the research concluded that globalisation and competitiveness jointly enhance the performance of firms within the fashion industry. As a recommendation, fashion firms are encouraged to embrace modern approaches in their practices to enhance competitiveness in the global fashion landscape.