Creatives holding political positions not failures —Socrate Safo

Socrate, who holds a political position at the National Commission on Culture (NCC) as Director for Creative Arts, contends that the issue has actually been a lack of communication between industry actors and their accomplishments.

Recently, Socrate Safo, a panelist for the Graphic Showbiz X (Twitter) Dialogue series, observed that the correct narratives had not been communicated.

"Unfortunately, there is a misconception that creatives in politics are irrelevant because they don't have an impact, but that is untrue and they are not failures.

"I have repeatedly stated that while things are happening, it is becoming difficult to keep industry players informed, giving the false impression that creatives in positions of power are failures.

"A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, like the National Theatre paying creatives a portion of the costs so they can properly present their shows. The weight of production costs is reduced as a result.

"A few years ago, Ghanaian comedians were criticized for lacking talent, but now that someone in the government took the initiative to assist them, they are well recognized.

"A creative with a government position who knows the system worked to make it happen. Today, the story is different and they are making an impact and filing auditoriums like the National Theatre," he said.

The Graphic Showbiz X Dialogue Series: "Have creative individuals in positions of political influence benefited the industry?" included a diverse range of opinions from panelists, including artist manager Nana Poku Ashis, media personality and former FIPAG member Ola Michael, and president of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa.

Kojo Preko Dankwa concurred in his response that the Ministry of Arts, Tourism, and Culture's position—among the many roles held by creatives—is not the answer to the industry's never-ending problems because such positions afford them little or no power.

Nana Poku Ashis and Ola Michael, who had previously stated that the majority of creatives only take on "ceremonial" jobs, endorsed his points of view.

But Socrate Safo disapproved of them, saying that communication had been more difficult than the work of political appointments.

"It doesn't mean nothing is occurring if the person in there is acting but says nothing about it. Although there are two sides to this story, the communication gap is the main problem. So it is not that they are failures,” he added.