Make theatres accessible in smaller communities – Sutherland-Addy appeals

The Chairperson of the Ghana Culture Forum has urged government to build theatres in smaller communities to make theatre accessible to all.

Prof Esi Sutherland-Addy said these theatres don’t necessarily have to be huge structures but rather spaces that will bring theatre to every Ghanaian.

“There is no reason why there shouldn’t be a theatre in Madina etc.,” she told Lexis Bill in an interview on Personality Profile on Joy FM, Thursday.

She noted that there should be a breakdown of what the structures of theatres should be in the country “which doesn’t have to be some huge thing built by the Chinese… we’ve got get away from that and make sure that we do it ourselves.”

The daughter of the late renowned playwright, Efua Sutherland, said that while theatre is growing in the country, there is a lot that can be done.

“We’ve had our highs and lows in our first republic, but there was a great deal of support for the arts in general and for theatre. That was one of the golden ages of theatre,” she observed.

The Ghana Culture Forum Chair explained that “we’ve dipped and come up again…right now theatre is being promoted by the sheer will of individuals who are prepared to put themselves out there like Ebo Whyte, Chief Moomen and Latif [Abubakari] and then, of course, the School of Performing Arts.”

“It quiet important for us to support the people who are producing theatre,” she urged.

World Theatre Day was observed the world over on March 27. Initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute, the day is set aside to celebrate theatre and the fine arts.

Watch the interview below:

Source: Myjoyonline