Ministry alone can’t develop creative arts, attitudinal change is key – Dzifa Gomashie

Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dzifa Abla Gomashie has urged Ghanaians to expect little from her ministry if they are not willing to change their negative attitudes.

President John Dramani Mahama’s administration realigned the Chieftaincy and Culture ministry to make provision for the creative arts sector. That realignment gave birth to a new ministry, Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to adequately cater for tourism, culture and the creative arts sector.

The veteran actress and queen mother, who was sworn into office as a deputy to substantive minister Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare recently, told Myjoyonline.com in an exclusive interview that while a lot is expect of the ministry, the ministry alone cannot solve the industry’s challenges.

According to her, “having a ministry alone will not do it. We all need to know that in whatever space that we find, what are we going to do to contribute to what the ministry is going to do?” she noted and added that attitudinal change is paramount to achieving growth in the creative arts.

Dzifa Gomashie cited for instance, if the ministry is able to raise funds to build the needed structures, “and we continue littering our country, who would want to come to a dirty country only to go and see a building somewhere…so we are all in this boat together.”

“We can’t keep expecting individuals such as the president, a minister and a deputy minister to have a magic wand which they will raise into the air and then everything that we expect is done,” she stressed.

The former producer of the popular television show, By The Fireside, said Ghanaians should know that whatever space they find themselves, they are ambassadors of the country and they must use that role for the benefit of humanity.

Dzifa Gomashie admitted that the creative arts sector “didn’t see as much support as we wish to have seen but I think that all governments have done their bit but we thank the current government and the president for putting the three domains – tourism, culture and creative arts – together.”

The three domains, she noted, work hand in hand and the formation of the new ministry will give the creative arts sector the needed recognition it deserves.

“Who discovers the tourist sites, what makes it interesting. It’s about the culture of the people and if a tourist is going to a site, they will get there, they will eat the food it’s our culture, they listen to music its creative arts, they will experience our dance its creative arts,” so the combination of the three is the best thing that could have happened to the creative arts industry, the veteran actress noted.

The Deputy Minister underscored the role of the creative arts sector towards the development of the country and lamented that, that role has not been fully appreciated because perhaps the sector has not had such a dedicated ministry.

While she is grateful for the opportunity to serve Ghana, her role, she said, is to assist the substantive minister succeed and “the best I can do for the ministry is to let the minister understand what we [the creative industry] are about.”

Dzifa Gomashie said she brings to the job her experience and passion for the industry and ministry and was optimistic that the future for the creative arts sector looks bright.

myjoyonline