RENOWNED Ghanaian actor, Mr David Dontoh has urged the business community to channel some of its resources into promoting the arts and not only spend on beauty pageants and football.
Speaking on a broad range of issues relating to the development of arts and culture in an interview with Showbiz in Tema, Mr Dontoh regretted that a cosmopolitan city like Tema which has the biggest drydock facility in Africa has no decent, purpose built theater to host various cultural events.
He said an important body like the National Development Commission has no representation from the arts community on it and that meant issues pertaining to the industry hardly appear on its agenda.
‘My suggestion is that there must be a quota representation of arts people on the commission.
That quota can be filled at various times by people involved with either dance, film, music, theater or the visual arts at different times.
According to the well-known actor, ‘South Africa is hosting the world cup today because of investments made towards the arts, entertainment and the tourism industry that has marketed them to the world over the years.
Continuing, he said credible research findings indicates about 93 different careers under theater while the film industry has a total of over 204 careers under its belt.
It is therefore important to develop those areas so the youth can study and get jobs there.
Mr Dontoh said, Nigeria’s movie industry has risen to become one of the highest foreign exchange earners for the country and has generated a lot of jobs because attention is being paid to the sector, and that Ghana can learn from that.
He regretted the film policy has been in parliament for over six years without a passage, yet, it took legislators 48 hours to approve the controversial Chinnery Hesse’s recommendations on emoluments for public service holders.
Mr Dontoh call on the government set up a theater and arts endowment fund that corporate institutions can donate a percentage of their profits to help boost and create jobs there.
He expressed disappointment at the decision of local companies to sponsor foreign soap operas and sitcoms on television at the expense of local productions and charged Ministry of Tourism and Culture to formulate policies that can bolster the production of local programmes.
He again challenged the Tourism Ministry developed blue prints that would go to streamline the operations of hotels and hospitality centers across the metropolis.
He said, hospitality is absence if structures referred to as hotels lacks performance stage and cinema halls for adequate entertainment of their guests.
‘Hospitality goes beyond sleeping and eating and we must be aware of that in order to speed up the development of tourism in this country’, he added.
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