Creative industry tactics have been employed; campaigning, manifestos, and promises have been made. Finally, the people have handed power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidate, President John Dramani Mahama.
The victory comes with a lot of expectations and demands from all sectors of the nation. While other sectors will be keeping the government on its toes to live up to the promises made in their manifesto, it is imperative that those of us in the creative space do the same.
As such, we at Ghana Music are committed to doing just that. While we congratulate the president and the NDC for their victory, we will, in the same vein, like to remind them of some key areas they should look at tackling during their tenure.
In a series of posts on the social media platform Twitter, “X,” some members of the public shared some areas they believe the government should be able to tackle. As such, for Ghana Music, I re-echo some five (5) items Mahama and his administration should look at addressing for the creative industry.
Pass Creative Arts Policies and Laws
One of the things troubling the creative industry is policies and laws that protect the rights, actions, and works of creatives in the country. These policies will not only protect but will provide the grounds for which creatives can build, structure, and earn from their creativity. Knowing that you have laws to fall on is a sure way of getting creatives to put their best foot forward.
One of the many policies or laws that come to mind is the copyright law. Amending the existing law to meet the times, a restructure of the royalty collection and its distribution will do the industry some good. Creatives are already suffering from how porous the system is. A fix (a good one) is needed as soon as possible.
Pay attention to the creative industry
One of the mistakes leaders make is to often detach themselves from the people they are meant to serve. While this writer recognizes that other sectors deserve the President’s attention, the nature of his work demands that each sector gets the much-needed attention.
As such, it is imperative that this government does better with their interaction with the industry. Dialogue and meetings with creatives and stakeholders of the industry at intervals should be prioritized. There should be smooth communication between the government and the creatives with accountability of what has been promised, the progress, and what is to come.
Funding support for creatives
Funding has been a headache for many creatives, especially promising talents with little to no support. As such, if the government can make financial support, waivers, and other financial incentives available to creatives, it will go a long way to raise creative morale within the country. The fund should not be created and kept for only a section of the industry but made accessible for all creatives of different statutes.
Creative infrastructure
For a country with a rich creative history, it is appalling to see how we lack a lot of infrastructure for the creative industry. The few available too are left in deplorable states or abandoned. As such, the government will have to look into solving infrastructure problems. From studios and event centers to concert venues, they should be buildings and structures put up across the country of various capacities put together for creatives to create, exhibit, and sell their craft.
Creative Education
While all the other things listed are being done, there must be an intentional effort to invest in creative education.While the tools, grounds, and materials needed for our creative economy to thrive are being done, there should be a conscious effort to ensure people are educated in the arts. The teaching and learning of creative arts should be given priority and be done effectively across all educational levels. There should be strategies in place to provide support for creative students to help them harness and grow their talent for national benefits.
Taking a line or two from ex-President Akuffo Addo, Mr. President-Elect, do not be a spectator but be a citizen. Ensure that work is done to improve our creative industry as best as you can. The five (5) items listed are a few out of the 22 items the NDC listed in their manifesto to do for the creative industry.
You have asked for a honeymoon period, but there is work to be done, and some of us will be reminding you every opportunity we get to fulfill your promises to the good people of Ghana.
