The National Commission on Culture (NCC), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, is set to organise its annual Wear Ghana Festival 23.
The festival on the theme ‘Wear Ghana, for Jobs in Ghana’, is aimed at showcasing and promoting Ghana’s cultural heritage and local textile industry and recognising creativity in the fashion industry.
A statement issued by the NCC in Accra on Friday said this year’s festival, which would be held in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority, CeeJay Multimedia, and the Aayalolo Festival, was an opportunity to promote the country’s national identity and encourage institutions to support local fabrics and accessories.
It said the world had become increasingly globalised, and it was now more important than ever “to celebrate and preserve our cultural traditions and uphold the integrity and memory of cultures, particularly the Ghanaian culture. One way to do this is by making conscious efforts in promoting our Ghanaian wear and accessories.”
“Socio-cultural and economic researchers and scholars have indicated that clothing and fashion were key elements of a people’s culture that reflect on their history, customs, belief systems, knowledge systems, communication, and general way of life as well as their natural resources.
The statement noted that in recent times, the clothing and fashion industry had become one of the leading contributors to the economic growth of many countries across the globe.
It said it was critical that attention was paid to the needs of the clothing industry in Ghana, noting that “It must not be lost on us that one of the leading causes of the economic downturns we are facing as a country is excess importation of used clothing and other fabrics into the country.”
The Commission, since the inception of the festival in 2017, has used the month of March to increase advocacy and campaign on made-in-Ghana clothing, fashion and accessories and fabrics.
The festival is used to promote all locally made products and services, from food to herbal medicine.
The statement said the festival had the potential to create jobs and boost the Ghanaian economy “as well as increased awareness and confidence in what we have as a people.”
This year’s edition would feature several activities aimed at creating employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth in the fashion and creative industry.
The statement urged Ghanaians to participate in the festival by wearing colourful local fabrics such as smock, Kente, GTP and Woodin at all state and international functions to help promote and project Ghana’s unique cultural identity.
Some activities lined up during the month include the Theme Week, Ayalolo Festival, exhibition with CeeJay Multimedia, outreach programmes in basic schools, NCC Fashion flash, Wear Ghana on Campus, Fugu hub exhibit and traditional exhibition.