Govt Plans Second National Theatre
By Esther Korantemaa Offei
The government has announced plans to establish a second National Theatre in Kumasi as part of efforts to expand Ghana’s cultural infrastructure and create more opportunities for the creative arts industry.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, disclosed this during the Government Accountability Series.
She, however, clarified that the immediate focus was not to begin construction of an entirely new theatre but to complete an existing theatre and Centre for National Culture project in the Ashanti Region.
“We plan to build a second National Theatre in Kumasi,” the Minister said.
Ms Gomashie explained that the proposal followed her recent tour of theatre facilities and Centres for National Culture in the Ashanti Region, which enabled her to assess the condition and progress of existing cultural infrastructure.
Following the assessment, she said, she proposed to Cabinet that the government prioritise the completion of the facility already under development instead of immediately committing resources to a new theatre.
“I took a tour of the Ashanti Region’s theatre and Centre for National Culture spaces. I have suggested to Cabinet that instead of starting a new one, we focus on finishing what has been started,” she said.
According to the Minister, Cabinet has approved the proposal, paving the way for work on the existing facility to continue.
“And Cabinet is in approval of that suggestion. So that is what is going to happen, and if the opportunity comes, we start a new one,” she added.
The Minister also disclosed plans to rehabilitate the existing National Theatre in Accra as part of a broader programme to improve Ghana’s cultural and creative arts infrastructure.
The proposed development in Kumasi is expected to expand access to major performing arts facilities in the Ashanti Region and provide additional space for cultural events, theatrical productions and other creative activities.
A second National Theatre in Kumasi would also help decentralise major cultural infrastructure, which is currently concentrated largely in Accra, while providing artists and creative practitioners in the Ashanti Region with improved platforms to showcase their work.
The initiative forms part of broader government efforts to strengthen the tourism, culture and creative arts sectors through investment in infrastructure and facilities that can support artists, cultural practitioners and the wider creative economy.
The development is expected to position Kumasi as a stronger hub for cultural performances, events and creative enterprise while complementing existing efforts to promote Ghana’s cultural heritage and tourism potential.
