The Ahaspora hosted the “Diaspora Round Table Series” at the Alisa Hotel on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, as part of its 13th-anniversary celebration.
The gathering aimed to foster connections and dialogue among diasporans and returnees, spotlighting their narratives while tackling pertinent topics.
Ibrahim Mahama, a prominent figure in Ghana’s art scene, shared his journey and philosophy, emphasising the universality of creativity and the need for a more open and diverse arts curriculum.
During the event, Mahama reflected on his educational path and urged for a more expansive arts curriculum that transcends conventional boundaries and embraces various mediums.
He expressed concern about the current curriculum’s limitations, which mostly focus on poster colours and exclude photography, oil paint, watercolour, and charcoal.
Mahama believes that by opening up the curriculum, the arts can be found in various programmes, not just visual arts.
“I think that arts can come from anywhere, it can come from someone who is studying science, someone who’s studying arts, there’s creativity in all the things that we do. So I’d love to see the programmes that we see at the Senior High School a lot more open.
“Even when it comes to the arts, the curriculum is still closed. You wouldn’t find people using photography as a medium, or oil paint or watercolour or charcoal, mostly it is poster colours, so there are limitations to even imaginative forms that could be built.”
“I went through that system, but I’ve also met other artists in other fields who were scientists, and others who came into arts and actually opened up arts exponentially, because a lot of the work that I do has to do with engineering, working with aeroplanes, trains, and all these other things, so certainly I think that when we make the curriculum more opened, we have to be able to open up the way we look at artists or arts in general, and not think of it as something that is stuck to the visual arts, we have to find it in all the other programmes” he remarked.
The artist also acknowledged the challenges faced by artists in Ghana, particularly the bureaucratic landscape and exorbitant import duties that hinder creativity.
He urged for policy changes that could make it easier for artists to access materials and spaces, which would encourage experimentation and growth.
“I believe there are a lot of people who are trying to do things in this country. But some of them will fold up because maybe on the policy level, taxes on importations, import duties and other things limit them. Recently when I just returned, I brought in some materials for drawing, but the import duty was so exorbitant that I always ask myself, there are so many individuals who want to be able to do things, but then even when you go to the shops here you can’t afford them.”
“They are so expensive because of the import duties and others. So certainly when it comes to creativity, experimentation and all that, there needs to be a policy that can allow for access for people to be able to buy things without the cost being too high. When it happens that way I think that it will encourage people to be a lot more experimental.
“So certainly on a policy level, I think that we should be able to as a country work it out in such a way that it will make it easier for people to be able to acquire materials and spaces that can allow them to be able to grow their creative thoughts”
Despite these challenges, Mahama remains optimistic about the transformative power of art.
He envisions a future where Ghana’s cultural heritage becomes an economic force, bolstered by institutional support and a long-term vision.
“It’s enormous. I’m not even talking about it in terms of money, I’m talking about it in terms of value, in terms of work, because a lot of these artists work when we have institutions that work to preserve the legacy of the work of these artists make. In the next 20 to 100 years to come, that will become a new economic power. When you go into the West, and other places, institutions are investing in arts.
Head of the Ghanaian-European Centre for Job Migration and Development, Andreas Berding, backed this sentiment, emphasising the significance of diaspora connections and the pivotal role artists like Mahama play in inspiring future generations.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he affirmed, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between the diaspora and Ghana’s artistic landscape.
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