Renowned playwright, James Ebo Whyte has blamed the lack of support for the creative arts sector on industry persons not giving investors enough reason to invest in the sector.
He noted that business outfits will invest in a product only if they know what benefits they will derived from that investment and creative arts persons always fail in giving them that benefit.
His remarks come in the wake of cries from industry persons that they get little or no support from business or corporate Ghana.
Answering a question on the issue during a Q&A session at the launch of his new book, ‘The Perfect Couple’ and latest play, ‘Rejected’ at the National Theatre Thursday night, he said producers of creative arts content have to do more to get support.
According to him, “the entertainment and arts is not giving them reason to do enough. Nobody sets up a company to do charity so you must give them a reason why they should part with money and it should always be to their advantage because they were set up to do profit.”
Businesses, he noted, will always ask, “what am I going to benefit from it? So, don’t go and say that you know we do wonderful programmes, no! They want to know how is that going to benefit me… the entertainment industry hasn’t done that well in that kind of transactions.”
James Ebo Whyte is one of the lucky few who always get sponsorship and support for their creative arts products.
This, he stressed, is not by magic but because he always gives business benefits.
“I am blessed in that respect because I [have] worked as a marketing manager before so I know what questions a marketing manager will be asking and that is why I get a few sponsors,” he said.
The launch of ‘The Perfect Couple’, which is a sequel to his widely-received novel ‘The Deal’, was a well-attended event with several personalities, including the President of UT Holdings, Prince Kofi Amoabeng; Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, former General Secretary of the Christian Council.
Personalities and business like Stanbic Bank Ghana (paid GHc5,000), Prince Kofi Amaobeng (paid GHc5,000), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (paid GHc5,000) and Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM) (paid GHc2,000) for copies of the book.
‘Rejected’, another masterpiece from Ebo Whyte, is the 32nd consecutive quarterly production from Roverman Productions.
Uncle Ebo debuted his family-oriented live theatre productions in 2008 with “Unhappy Wives, Confused Husbands”. He has since gone on to thrill Ghanaians to exciting quarterly productions.
The launch was emceed by Godwin Avenorgbor and Mamavi Owusu-Aboagye.
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