FOCAP Calls for Overhauling of Creative Arts Agency, Commends NDC for Quick Action
The Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP) has made an emotive call for sweeping changes in the Creative Arts Agency, based on complaints regarding what they describe as systemic inefficiencies, secrecy, and outmoded paradigms that no longer respond to Ghana's rapidly evolving creative sector. In a sternly worded release posted on Sunday, FOCAP stressed the urgency to reframe the agency's vision, structure, and operations closer to the hopes of modern artists and industry players.
In the opinion of FOCAP, the current structure of the Creative Arts Agency has not served its purpose of promoting and supporting the creative industry. They believe that despite the sector's potential to make a serious contribution to national GDP, generate employment, and put Ghana on the global cultural map, bureaucratic limitations and the lack of strategic direction have stifled growth and innovation.
FOCAP demands these reforms, among others, as the immediate auditing of the operations of the agency, the appointment of leadership with proven track records in the creative arts, and the establishment of a robust policy framework that advocates for artistic freedom, innovation, and industry viability. Effective stakeholder engagement was also emphasized by the organization, with a call for a national creative summit in which industry stakeholders can directly have a say on the direction the agency's future should take.
The creative arts are the heart and soul of any country," the press release read. "They must be nurtured with vision, honesty, and honest passion. Too often, as at present in the Creative Arts Agency, that is not the case. Fundamental overhaulings are not only a necessity — but a long one.".
Amid its din for change, FOCAP even lauded the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its initial and action-packed response to the concerns raised by the arts community. For FOCAP, the NDC leadership's early engagement with members of the creative sector and its commitment to prioritizing the arts in its overall national development agenda are a refreshing relief from what they call years of "political lip service."
"We commend the NDC for having recognized the sense of urgency and responding to the appeals of the creative arts fraternity," FOCAP stated. "Their call to hear, consult, and pursue a more progressive creative arts policy is a step in the right direction."
This is after the NDC recently made promises to transform policies that affect the arts sector in the event that they capture power. Concretely, the party promised to introduce a comprehensive Creative Arts Bill aimed at institutionalizing support mechanisms for artists, building top-shelf facilities, and fostering public-private partnerships to fund artistic ventures.
However, FOCAP was quick to point out that aside from promises, what the industry truly requires is action. The organization insisted that irrespective of political parties in power, the arts sector must keep demanding accountability, transparency, and actual action.
The creative arts industry must not be deceived by campaign speeches during election periods," FOCAP warned. "We need commitments that can be checked, deadlines, and a system of regular monitoring and assessment of a government's performance on our sector.".
The call to action arrives at a critical moment in Ghana's creative economy, which has experienced breathtaking triumph and staggering adversity in recent years. From the global acclaim of Ghanaian artists and directors to the emerging importance of online content creation, the sector is poised for explosive growth — if the right assistance.
FOCAP concluded its statement by calling on all the political parties, policymakers, and the public in general to recognize the central role that the creative industry occupies in nation-building. They called for joint action to equip Ghana's artists, performers, and cultural innovators with the tools, platforms, and environments that they required to reach their full potential.
With the nation heading towards the next electoral cycle, pressure is mounting on political leaders not only to listen to the cries for change but to act resolutely in changing the fortunes of the creative arts sector.
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