Cultural fund gives out more money for projects
Eleven arts organisations and music groups that applied for financial assistance from the Ghana Denmark Cultural Fund (GDCF), have been granted a total of GH¢ 255,160.00 for a variety of arts projects.
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The successful applicants are Centre for Creative Youth, Dance Factory, Bizung School of Music and Dance, Council of Women Traditional Leaders, MUSIGA Wa branch, National Symphony Orchestra, Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble, Abiza Band, African Footprint International and Young and Wise Gbambiri Group
The grants followed recommendations made by a peer review committee set up by the Institute for Music and Development (IMD), administrators of the fund, to vet applications from various parts of the country and make recommendations to the GDFC board.
Projects to be executed under the grants include writing/ publishing of a book, purchase of musical instruments, creation/performance of a dance piece, circus performance/ workshop for sound engineers, recording / duplication of folk music and cultural development programmes.
Members of the Peer Review Committee were Dr. Joel Sonne (Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts), Kwesi Gyan Apenteng (Ghana Association of Writers), Akosua Abdallah (National Theatre Players), Ato Annan (Foundation for Contemporary Art), Nii Tete Yartey (Noyam African Dance Institute), Bessa Simon (MUSIGA) and Theresa Tetteh (Musician).
GDCF board members comprise Stine B. Arthur (Programme Officer for Culture, Royal Danish Embassy in Accra), Prof. Irene Odotei (Director, Historical Society of Ghana), Dr. Agyemang Osei (Acting Executive Director, National Theatre of Ghana) and Michael Attipoe (Director of Finance and Administration, National Commission on Culture).
The rest are Oh Nii Sowah (Lecturer, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon), Akoss Ofori Mensah (Director, Sub Saharan Publishers) and Shirley Frimpong Manso (Film maker/Producer).
Since 2007, the GDCF has released a total of GH¢932,773.43 for various arts projects across the country. These include publishing of books, documentary films, dance productions, acquisition of musical equipment, storytelling and reading programmes for school kids.
The GDCF was set up in 2007. It focuses on Ghana/Danish art and cultural exchanges while enhancing the work of Ghanaian artists and art professionals whose work emphasise contemporary ideas based on Ghana’s rich cultural and traditional practices.