David Dontoh opens acting school
Popular Ghanaian actor, David Dontoh fulfilled a long-held dream when he eventually launched his DAS Professional Acting Institute in the main auditorium of the Zenith University College at La in Accra last week.
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The launch ceremony attracted several personalities including La Mantse , Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Dzifa Gomashie-Ahiaglo; TV Africa founder and film director, Mr Kwaw Ansah and Mr Osmo Kwame Addo, CEO of Katamadara Concepts.
On a late afternoon filled with performances by seprewa player, Nana Kyeremanten; comedian Bob Okalla, Edikanfo Concert Party and others, the experienced actor said he took off with an acting school in November, 2011 at the premises of Silverline premises at Korle Wokon in Accra.
He, however, decided to expand the scope of the school and register it properly with the National Accreditation Board when the president and founder of Zenith University College, Dr Gibrine Adam, offered to host the school on the university campus.
“The school focuses on acting, public speaking and script writing and will facilitate the award of certificates and diplomas in those areas,” Dontoh said at the launch.
“There is a God-given resource latent in each one of us waiting to be tapped for useful purposes and that thing is called talent. Unfortunately, the talents of many passionate youth have been and continue to be wrongly exploited by charlatans. DAS Professional Acting Institute sympathises with such youth and promise to be there for them,” he said.
According to Dontoh, the courses at the school will embrace internships, performance productions, workshops and master classes alongside life skills training in swimming, driving, horse riding and motorbike riding, with martial arts knocking to enter.
He said there will also be training in voice overs for commercials and documentaries, pantomime and story-telling narration as well as arts and entertainment tours and events in addition to the life skills and internship projects.
The acting school’s founder pointed out that even those who have a natural ability for something have to work to develop it and turn that talent into skill.
He said registration of students was in progress for full academic sessions to start next January.
Dr Edward Addo, head of the Business School at Zenith University College, spoke on behalf of the university’s founder.
He said the arts and entertainment field was a big money earner and urged practitioners to hone their skills to enable them take advantage of opportunities.