Meraki Arts Africa brought renewed energy to the University of Ghana campus with the third edition of the Zadokeli Festival, which was held from Monday, December 8, to Sunday, December 14, at the ETS Drama Studio.

The festival expanded beyond visual arts, turning the venue into a vibrant hub of learning, performance and artistic discovery.

The third edition recorded a strong turnout, with creative industry practitioners and students from various institutions present to engage in workshops, exhibitions and conversations on opportunities within the creative space.

Speaking to the media, Meraki Arts Africa CEO Elorm Anang explained that the decision to scale up the festival was driven by the need to reflect the true breadth of the creative arts sector.

“So Zadokeli has been happening. In fact, this was the third one that we held, but it was on a bigger scale this year. In 2022 and 2023, we only had art and photography exhibitions. This year, we decided to add performances because that is who we really are,” she explained.

According to Ms Anang, partnering with the School of Performing Arts was a deliberate step.

“We approached the School of Performing Arts and said that we wanted to have exhibitions and performances, and that is why we chose this venue. In a nutshell, it was a creative arts festival celebrating all forms of arts, including drama, dance, film, music, photography and visual art.”

She also challenged the perception that careers in the creative space were not financially rewarding.

“There is no way anyone can say the creative space is not paying. We had influencers and bloggers, some of whom had just completed senior high school, charging thousands of cedis to cover our event. I spent 17 years in the corporate world, but I left and returned to the creative space because it is viable,” she highlighted.

The week-long festival featured hands-on activities for students exploring creative careers.

On Tuesday, December 9, the ETS Drama Studio buzzed with activity as students attended workshops and exhibitions and interacted with industry professionals.

Ms Anang outlined the lineup of activities that took place throughout the week, including stage performances, film screenings and an awards night to honour legends of the creative industry.

Chief Creative Director of the Zadokeli Festival, Adjetey Anang, encouraged the public to take an interest in creative events.

“People were really missing out if they did not come. The festival kept gaining momentum and it was exciting to see schools coming in to explore very authentic creative work. It was a great opportunity to unwind and experience something different,” he said.

With exhibitions performances film screenings workshops and a celebration of Ghanaian creative legends, the 2024 Zadokeli Festival reinforced the growing relevance of the creative arts and its role in providing opportunities for young people.