During the Creative Arts Forum organized by 3Entertainment on August 30, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mark Okraku Mantey provided an update on the five amphitheatres the government promised.
He reported that the projects are currently about 70% complete.
“The amphitheatres are about 70 percent done,” Okraku Mantey stated during the forum hosted by Johnnie Hughes.
The construction of these amphitheatres is a critical component of President Akufo-Addo’s 2020 manifesto for the creative arts sector.
The first sod-cutting ceremony for one of the amphitheatres occurred in April last year at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Kumasi.
The government plans to build similar facilities in Tamale, Accra, and Takoradi, each with a maximum capacity of 1,000 people.
The initiative was initially announced in October 2022 by Dr. Mohammed Awal, the former Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.
He indicated that the government aimed to complete five amphitheatres within that year and an additional five the following year to provide performance venues in all 16 regions by 2024.
As of now, none of the amphitheatres have been fully completed.
There have also been growing calls for the government to renovate the National Theatre to an ultra-modern status, reflecting ongoing concerns about developing and enhancing performance spaces for the arts.
