The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has launched the construction of a state-of-the-art open-air amphitheatre in Kumasi, Ghana, on April 26, 2023. The project is one of the five amphitheatres in the New Patriotic Party’s manifesto and is expected to be completed by July 2023. At the sod-cutting ceremony, Mr. Okraku-Mantey assured the public that the project would be completed on schedule. “This amphitheatre is supposed to start any moment and by the end of July 2023, it should be ready. I repeat we are cutting sod in the next 10 to 15 mins, and by July 2023, it should be ready,” he confirmed.
The amphitheater, which is expected to hold a maximum of 1,000 people, will serve as a performance venue for artists and other industry players to plan events. It is also anticipated that the project will boost the creative industry’s economy by creating employment opportunities, which is one of the New Patriotic Party’s primary objectives.
During the event, dignitaries such as Kumasi Mayor Sam Pyne, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Mr. Kwadwo Antwi, Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority, Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, and Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP) coordinator, Nana Sarfo Kantanka graced the occasion.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Okraku-Mantey reiterated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s commitment to the creative industry. He highlighted some of the president’s achievements, such as the passage of the creative arts law and the near completion of the Creative Arts School. The Deputy Minister also emphasized that the grant received during the COVID-19 pandemic helped a lot of people in the creative arts sector.
In October 2022, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Mohammed Awal, announced that the government would build five multipurpose domes or amphitheaters in 2022 to create jobs and opportunities for Ghanaians. The plan is to build five amphitheaters this year, followed by another five next year, in all 16 regions of the country.
The issue of theatres or performance centres has been a significant concern for creatives in Ghana. The government’s initiative to build the amphitheaters aligns with their promise to provide such facilities, as stated in the NPP manifesto. Two amphitheaters will be built in Accra, one each in Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale.