Seventh creative arts vacation camp opens in Accra
A two-week creative arts vacation camp to provide skills training for young people has opened in Accra.
The camp, which opened on August 10 at the Community Youth Cultural Centre (CYCC), is being organised by the National Commission on Culture in collaboration with Values for Life, a Non-governmental Organisation.
It will train participants in basketry, music and dance, drama, beads and batik making, Home Science, physical culture and Spelling B to improve their vocabulary.
Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with renowned personalities in the arts and entertainment industry to provide them with hands-on training in areas of interest.
The 2016 youth creative arts vacation camp is on the theme: “Youth Empowerment and Productivity.”
The camp, the seventh in the series, is to bridge the gap between formal education and home training and to keep the youth away from vices during their long vacation.
Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said the culture and creative arts were domains which could be used to educate, entertain and inform the populace.
She urged the participants to take the training seriously as it offered the opportunity for personal development and empowerment to contribute to national development.
Ms Gomashie said the camp had the potential to address all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals setup by the United Nations adding: “in empowering our youth, we are positioning them to make the right choices socially, sexually, and economically.”
She said culture had attracted international attention over the last few decades because of its contribution to national development through employment generation and wealth creation.
Ms Gomashie said Ghana had ratified seven UNESCO Conventions which were directly going to improve the opportunities available to Ghanaians, especially those in the Culture and Creative Arts sector.
She noted that Ghana is a haven of peace and democracy in Africa, therefore, these must be protected by all citizens so as to continue to enjoy the rich cultural heritage.
Mrs Alice Alima Kala, the Acting Director of CYCC, said the camp was to bring out the hidden talents in the youth and keep their minds off the vigorous academic life they experienced and rather learn through play among other things.
She expressed gratitude to partners including the NADMO, the Tourism Development Fund, Faithful Lines Company Limited and churches for their enormous support towards the camp.
Mrs Kala said the camp had grown both in content and number of participants until it was suspended due to financial constraints and expressed appreciation to Values for Life for partnering the CYCC to revive its programmes to promote youth development.
Source: GNA