The Centre for National Culture, Accra: History, Contributions and Challenges to the Development of the Arts and Culture in Ghana

Abstract

With the wind of globalization and change, our cultures and traditions do not remain static but evolve over time. Arts and culture are an integral part of national identity and so State support for the arts and culture cannot be ignored. The Centre for National Culture, over the years, has been bedeviled with poor support, attention, and managerial issues, which have crippled the running of affairs at the centre and led to a deteriorating state of the centre. This research is a qualitative study that was conducted at the Centre for National Culture, Accra – Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select the management and personnel of the Centre for National Culture, Accra, making up the full population of 35 respondents. The research findings reveal the poor state of this rich iconic arts and culture centre, emphasizing the neglect it has faced over the years. Juxtaposing the present and historic contributions of the Centre for National Culture, Accra, with its current state clearly indicates the lack of State interest in holistically supporting the arts and culture in Ghana as well as highlighting the premium that State institutions and the nation at large have placed on Ghanaian arts and culture. The study strongly recommends that the Centre for National Culture should be given adequate support to reflect its historical contributions. In this regard, adequate investment should be made to completely revamp the centre to enable it to operate at full capacity.