Accra, Ghana — The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has described the proposed Pan-African House under the African Monologue Challenge (AMC) as a “brilliant idea,” saying the initiative presents a timely opportunity for Africans to tell their own stories and showcase the continent’s rich cultural identity to the world.
According to the Minister, the Pan-African House, which will bring together finalists from 12 African countries for a month-long cultural exchange residency in Ghana, has the potential to deepen cultural understanding among Africans while promoting Ghana as a destination for tourism, culture and creative expression.
She made the remarks when a delegation from Despite Media and the African Monologue Challenge, led by Mawuko Kuadzi, paid a courtesy call on her to brief her on the progress of the initiative and its plans for the current edition.
Hon. Gomashie said the time was right for Africa to take ownership of its narrative and use its creative industries to tell stories that reflect the continent’s history, values, identity and aspirations.
“This is a good time to tell the Pan-African story,” she said, stressing the need for the continent to utilise its diverse creative talents and cultural resources to project a more authentic African identity.
The Minister further called on stakeholders in the creative sector to adopt a holistic approach by paying attention to all the various domains within the industry rather than focusing on only the most visible aspects.
She made particular mention of fashion, describing it as an indispensable component of the creative ecosystem.
According to her, fashion plays a fundamental role in the entertainment industry because musicians, actors and other performers rely on designers and other creative professionals to complete their artistic presentation.
Her comments highlighted the interconnectedness of the various creative disciplines and the need for stronger collaboration among practitioners across the sector.
The Minister’s remarks came as the AMC delegation updated her on the initiative, which was established in 2020 to mobilise Africa’s creative economy and use it as a form of soft power to promote intra-African tourism, trade and cultural exchange.
The organisers explained that the current edition will feature 12 finalists from 12 African countries who will live together in the Pan-African House for one month.
As part of the residency, the participants are expected to engage in cultural exchange, visit traditional rulers and explore selected tourism and cultural attractions across Ghana.
The experience is intended to deepen their understanding of Ghana while positioning them as cultural ambassadors who can return to their respective countries and share their experiences of the country’s culture, heritage and tourism offerings.
The organisers also indicated that they would collaborate with bloggers and digital content creators to generate wider publicity around the participants’ experiences and Ghana’s tourism and cultural assets.
The AMC indicated that support has come from institutions including, the National Film Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The initiative, which has previously held editions in Ghana and Uganda, seeks to strengthen Africa’s creative economy while providing a platform for Africans to tell their own stories through performance, culture and creative expression.
The meeting therefore provided an opportunity for the Ministry and the AMC team to explore ways of strengthening collaboration and ensuring that the creative economy, culture and tourism work together to promote Ghana and advance the broader Pan-African agenda.
Source: PR UNIT- MoTCCA
