CREATIVE ARTS EMBATTLED - FOCAP

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FOCAP


The Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP) is requesting that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to intervene immediately in the harassment and assault on the organizers of the CHALE WOTE FESTIVAL.

The intimidation of the organizers of the CHALE WOTE FESTIVAL reveals how little we regard the arts in this country. The organizers did not defy any police orders, therefore the story is false; however, they were charged under the Public Order Act for failing to notify police of a special event.

It began with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly issuing a press statement to halt such a beautiful festival/event, and an attempt by the organizers to seek an appointment with the Mayor was turned down with the pretext that the Mayor was not available to meet with the organizers.

According to FOCAP sources, the directive to disrupt and attack the festival came from above.
The CHALE WOTE FESTIVAL this year was strictly an indoor event after the AMA Mayor refused to grant them audience, and FOCAP can confirm that the Jamestown police commander and other officials met with the organizers and equal measures were taken.

What we should know is that the Ussher Fort is managed by the Museums and Monuments Board and is a world heritage site.
Surprisingly, it is open to tourists every Saturday.
FOCAP can state that the Fort was operational even on that particular day (Saturday), with workers at the venue ticketing tourists and strictly following covid procedures, and that the arrest of the organizers and subsequent 48-hour detention in police custody must be thoroughly investigated.

FOCAP obviously perceives this as an ATTACK ON THE CREATIVE ARTS INDUSTRY, and it is very disappointing that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture has not even placed a call or visited the festival organizers. The exact Ministry that, once upon a time, under Catherine Afeku, agreed to spend state monies on this same festival in order for it to become one of the top festivals in Africa and attract tourists to the country.
If the Ministry believes in the drive of the Creative Arts and what the world is now witnessing as a source of revenue and attractiveness, the demand for the full establishment of our Creative Arts Agency (CAA) to help mitigate and smoothen operations of the Creative Arts in this country will be formed.

As things are, the sector has no hope because practically all agencies and groups are ineffectual in responding to the predicament of their members.

FOCAP is requesting that the creative arts industry players and agencies intervene immediately for the organizers of the CHALE WOTE FESTIVAL and allow them to work freely.

We will also advise the organizers of the CHALEWOTE Festival, per this release, to seek legal counsel in order to recover any cash lost during these difficult times as a result of the AMA's actions, because Ghana is a democratic country, not a banana republic.

Kojo Preko Dankwa
0550077040

Enoch Agyepong
Convener
0244712136

Mel Kwesi Davis.
Convener
0246550298.

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