Government must support creative artists to showcase their works and expand employment avenues for the teeming professionals in the art industry, a coffin designer has stated.
63-year-old Ebenezer Teye, who made the call, said the Government, through the District Assembly, could support them through the District Assemblies with a financial package and capacity training to inject professionalism into the trade to prevent it from collapsing.
Mr. Teye in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Dawhenya explained that the work of craftsmen could contribute to the tourism sector as tourists get fascinated with creative works.
He said tourists take interest in ethnic arts and crafts, “we need the government to support artisans with development programmes to increase productivity and income among Indigenous people to expand the local and foreign market for handicrafts.
Mr. Teye said well-fashioned artisan projects could be a valuable form of grassroots development for Indigenous people, for economic and social goals.
“They provide income that complements subsistence agriculture while reinforcing ethnic identity and cultural pride. Programmes can vitalize local artisanship by allowing artisans to reach their maximum potential,” Mr. Teye who has been in the coffin design trade over the past 40 years, stated.
Mr. Teye, whose artwork received both local and foreign endorsement, created an international market, where customers from overseas patronized his wood design work or specialized caskets to bury their beloved ones.
He said he featured in the famous Thierry Secretan Historic Magazine ‘Going into Darkness Fantastic Coffins from Africa’ in 1991, which was sold in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America (USA) Germany and some countries on the African continent.
He added that he wanted to impart the knowledge he has acquired over the years into the youth to reduce the unemployment rate within the various communities in Dawhenya, but was faced with financial constraints.
Latest Stories
-
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: EOCO hasn’t requested for FBI report – Office of the Special Prosecutor
1 hour -
Andre Ayew scores 5th league goal as Le Havre beat Strasbourg
1 hour -
Ejisu by-election: NPP didn’t sanction money distribution to voters – Richard Ahiagbah
2 hours -
Ghana Health Service opens vacancies for 204 doctors, 25 dentists
2 hours -
Domestic tourism on the rebound with 1.4m visits to attraction sites in 2023 – GTA
3 hours -
Government working hard to complete Tema General Hospital project – Dr Okoe Boye
3 hours -
Ipswich Town seal Premier League promotion after 22 years absence
3 hours -
Accord journalists the respect due them – Opare Gyan
3 hours -
EPL: Arsenal beat Bournemouth to go four points clear of Man City
3 hours -
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: What’s happening now is a clear indication of cover-up – Amaliba
3 hours -
I felt rejected by Ghanaians – AY Poyoo
3 hours -
Terrorist cell of five Daesh supporters dismantled in Essaouira
4 hours -
My former manager deleted my songs from streaming platforms – AY Poyoo
4 hours -
Afronita and Abigail get standing ovation at Britain’s Got Talent
4 hours -
Accused in murder of a military officer in Kasoa remanded
4 hours