By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA- Madam Janet Edna Nyame, Executive Director, National Commission on Culture, says the importance of cultural heritage as an enabler for sustainable development is largely acknowledged through trade and tourism.
However, she has expressed concern at how cultural heritage role in trade and tourism had remained marginalised in the past and present.
She said that narrative ought to change and charged the citizenry to transform their indigenous craft to the world trade market in a unique style through required tactical branding and advertisements.
Madam Nyame said this at the launch of the KENTEFEST 2022 in Accra.
It will be held in collaboration with Ghana Society UK.
KENTEFEST is an annual festival that seeks to promote Ghanaian indigenous kente fabric and other handmade Ghanaian products.
It also seeks to promote patriotism and national pride by harnessing Ghana’s kente heritage around the global level and weaving the world as a symbol of African culture and unity.
Dubbed: “KENTEFEST 22”, the event is scheduled to take place in Luton, United Kingdom from October 20 to 30, 2022.
The ten-day festival will be under the theme: “Harnessing the heritage and evolving nature of Kente in trade and tourism.”
It will have activities like exhibitions to promote made-in-Ghana products, Royal Kente Durbar and Gala, the launch of Batakari festival, emancipation day with a naming ceremony, and a musical concert.
There will also be a Kente Heritage Awards to recognise notable personalities both in Ghana and the diaspora who have contributed enormously to the harnessing of the country’s cultural heritage.
Speaking at the launch, Madam Nyame also encouraged the use of digital platforms (social media) to showcase and commercialise the kente business to generate more revenue for Ghanaian handmade Kente.
“However, we must review our packaging techniques to suit the global standards to promote trade.
“I am of a strong conviction that these techniques will sit down in our generation through education and training. The nitty-gritty of Kente weaving must be thought at the various regions to help sustain our traditional heritage, which varies from all others,” she said.
According to the Executive Director of the National Commission of Culture, going by that, the Ghanaian kente market would be able to host tourists from neighbouring countries because of their originality, thereby promoting tourism.
She noted that the weaving of Ghana’s magnificent kente must still hold its authenticity and avoid piracy.
“This, I believe will drive tourists from all over the world to patronise our rich original kente cloth as tourism in trade commodity to improve our financial stability as a country,” she said.
Madam Nyame said the Ghanaian culture was embedded in music, dance, food, language and beautiful costumes and the imprints of rhythmic patterns in fabrics, which among others, served as a tool for communication.
“Generally, the motifs are symbolic and present ideas about our historical background as a people.
“To a great extent, it brings to the fore, the Ghanaian cultural values, which instil moral uprightness in the individual so the Ghanaian can live above reproach,” she said.
Madam Nyame mentioned “Gye Nyame, Sankofa, afa, ohene tuo,” among others as those, which constituted the Adinkra symbols and other symbolic patterns from the various regions that added more aesthetics and portrayed Ghanaian cultural identity in the production of kente fabrics such as “afafanto, Fathia fata Nkrumah, adwene si when so, sika ye mogya…”
Kente or “nwintomah” a tangible cultural heritage, is a hand-loom-woven fabric that is mostly associated with royalty, not only in the Ghanaian community but the entire world.
Mr Ernest Ortsin, Ghana Society, UK said the festival was a flagship programme of the Society aimed at promoting Ghana cultural heritage to the international society and marks the commemoration of the black history month.
GNA