Let’s change perception of theatre studies
The Department of Theatre and Film Studies (DTFS) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has marked its 10th anniversary with a call on society to change its perception of film and theatre studies in Ghana.
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The Head of Department of the DTFS, Mr Gharbin Elolo, made the call at the Cape Coast branch of the Centre for National Culture during the launch of a series of events to mark the anniversary.
Guests at the launch were treated to stage performances of plays written by two renowned Ghanaian playwrights — “In the chest of a woman” by the late Efo Kodjo Mawugbe and “Edufa” by Efua Sutherland.
They were presented by students of the DTFS.
Relevance
Mr Elolo said theatre and film were very important tools that could be used to reconstruct society.
He pointed out that theatre and film studies were also needed to help people adapt to different situations and environments in life, adding that products of the department had been able to work in corporate institutions such as banks and telecommunication companies as customer relation officers and in other portfolios.
He said the department had been able to collaborate with international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF to use theatre for development to bring education on health and other issues to the doorsteps of many communities in Ghana.
He expressed regret that despite the importance of these two disciplines as tools of social construction and education, a section of Ghanaian society continued to view them with contempt. He made particular reference to the term "dondology" which had been used by some people in Ghana to refer to the study of theatre and film as an indication of how some people had reduced the studies of theatre and film to just the playing of drums.
Potential
A Lecturer at the School of Agriculture of the UCC and a fan of theatre arts, Dr David Yawson, said the nation was sitting on a gold mine as far as the potential of the theatre industry was concerned.
He said as a graduate student of the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom (UK), his interest in theatre arts made him get to know that the UK theatre industry was worth nine billion pounds a year.
He said many European countries were revitalising their theatre performances despite the availability of numerous sources of entertainment.
He, therefore, asked for theatre studies and performances to be given their rightful places in society, adding that the UCC needed a modern theatre studio to enhance the teaching and learning of theatre arts in the university.
Addressing the challenges
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the UCC, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, expressed delight that the department continued to hold theatre series despite the challenges.
She said her office, in conjunction with authorities of the university, was working to address those challenges
Stressing the importance of theatre arts in the Ghanaian society, Prof. Edu-Buandoh said theatre performance was a vital tool in socialising people in respect of the Ghanaian culture.
“People today complain about the alienation of the Ghanaian youth from our culture and that could be attributed partly to the neglect of theatre performances of late,” she added.
She paid glowing tributes to Efua Sutherland for institutionalising the study of theatre arts at the tertiary level and Efo Kodjo Mawugbe for promoting gender sensitivity and equity through his plays.