Empowering up-and-coming Ghanaian artists through mentorship in the creative industries for economic development and cultural heritage preservation

Abstract

This study sought to develop a model of empowering up-and-coming artists by enhancing their participation in Ghanaian creative industries, assisted through the mentorship programme led by cultural pioneering visual arts masters. Creative industries are a combination of the creation, production, and commercialisation of creative and cultural content that can serve as goods and/or services. The model explored the impact of mentorship in skills transfer and development towards economic empowerment and maintenance of cultural heritage through enculturation. The importance of the maintenance of cultural heritage is explored using Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Cultural Capital. At the same time, the impact of economic empowerment is explained through social cohesion theory towards economic inclusion. This research questioned whether artists’ social structure can function as a system of social stratification in which certain key characteristics of artists and their practice development affect their success in the creative art industries in Ghana. Qualitative research methods of data collection, particularly the multi-case studies approach, were used. The data analysis was done using conceptual analysis to identify cultural capital indicators embedded in contemporary artists' practice in the Ghanaian creative industries. Thematic analysis was done by grouping emerging themes, patterns, and relationships from the collated data to provide useful insights into what accounts for a successful career in art practice through Ghanaian creative industries. This research sought to contribute to the existing literature by adding to the African perspectives on artistic stratification and cultural production in the creative industries. The study also highlights inequalities for policymakers to formulate policies and implement appropriate interventions to address inequalities in the creative industries. Additionally, it would ensure that the prolific practitioners in the creative industries are identified and supported to grow Ghana’s economy and engender social cohesion.

Olu phando beluzama ukuphuhlisa umfuziselo wokuxhobisa amagcisa asakhasayo ngokuphucula ukuthatha kwawo inxaxheba kwimizimveliso yobugcisa yaseGhana, encediswa ngenkqubo yokuqeqesha ekhokelwa ngoomakhwekhwetha kwinkcubeko yobugcisa obubonakalayo. Imizimveliso yobugcisa yindibanisela yokuqweba, imveliso, kunye nokuthengiswa kwezixhobo zobugcisa nenkcubeko ezinokusebenza njengempahla kunye/okanye iinkonzo. Lo mfuziselo uza kuphonononga impembelelo yoqeqesho kugqithiselo lwezakhono kunye nophuhliso olubhekiselele kuxhotyiso lwezoqoqosho nokulondolozwa kwelifa lemveli ngenkcubeko. Ukubaluleka kokulondolozwa kwelifa lemveli yenkcubeko kuphononongwa kusetyenziswa iTheory of Cultural Capital kaPierre Bourdieu. Ngaxeshanye, impembelelo yokuxhotyiswa kwezoqoqosho icaciswa ngengcingane yokusebenzisana koluntu ekubandakanyekeni kwezoqoqosho. Olu phando belunombuzo wokuba ingaba ubume bentlalontle yamagcisa bunokusebenza njengenkqubo yokucwangciswa kwezentlalo apho iimpawu ezithile eziphambili zamagcisa kunye nophuhliso lomsebenzi wamagcisa luchaphazela impumelelo yawo kwimizimveliso yobugcisa bokuqweba eGhana. Kusetyenziswe iindlela zophandontyilazwi zokuqokelela idatha, ngakumbi indlela yezifundo ngemizekelo emininzi. Uhlalutyo lwedatha lwenziwe ngokusebenzisa uhlalutyo lwengqiqo ukuchonga izalathisi zezibonelelo zenkcubeko ezizinziswe kwiinkqubo zamagcisa ale mihla kwimizimveliso yobugcisa yaseGhana. Uhlalutyo lwemixholo lwenziwe ngokuhlelwa ngokwemixholo evelayo, iindlela/iiphateni, kunye nobudlelwane obusuka kwidatha eqokelelweyo ukuze kubonelelwe ngengqiqo eluncedo malunga nokuba yintoni ebangela ikhondo lomsebenzi eliphumeleleyo kumsebenzi wobugcisa ngokusebenzisa imizimveliso yokuqweba yaseGhana. Olu phando lufaka igalelo kuncwadi olusele lukhona ngokongeza kwiingcamango zesiNtu malunga nokuhlelwa okanye ukucwangciswa kobugcisa nemveliso yezenkcubeko kwimizimveliso yobugcisa. Olu phando lukwagqamisa ukungalingani kubaqulunqi bemigaqonkqubo ukuze baqulunqe imigaqonkqubo nokuphumeza ungenelelo olufanelekileyo ukulungisa ukungalingani kwimizimveliso yobugcisa. Ukongeza, oku kuya kuqinisekisa ukuba abantu abanobuchule bokuqweba kwimizimveliso yobugcisa bayachongwa kwaye bayaxhaswa ukuze bakhulise uqoqosho lwaseGhana kunye nokukhuthaza intsebenziswano kuluntu.

Phuputso ena e batlile ho hlahisa mmotlolo wa ho matlafatsa batshwantshisi ba ntseng ba hlahella ka ho ntlafatsa ho nka karolo ha bona indastering ya boqapi ya Ghana, ba thuswa ka lenaneo la boeletsi le etelletsweng pele ke ditsebi tsa bonono tsa bopula-madiboho ba setso. Diindasteri tsa boqapi ke motswako wa boqapi, tlhahiso, le kgwebo ya ditaba tsa boqapi le tsa setso tse ka sebetsang e le thepa le/kapa ditshebeletso. Mmotlolo ona o tla hlahloba phello ya boeletsi phetisong ya ditsebo le ntshetsopele mabapi le matlafatso ya moruo le tlhokomelo ya lefa la setso ka ho ruta ditaba tsa setso. Bohlokwa ba ho boloka lefa la setso bo hlahlojwa ho sebediswa Theori ya Thepa Eo Motho a Iphedisang ka Yona ya Pierre Bourdieu. Ka nako e tshwanang, phello ya matlafatso ya moruo e hlaloswa ka kgopolo ya bonngwe ba setjhaba ho ya ho ho kenyeletswa ha moruo. Patlisiso ena e ile ya sheba hore na sebopeho sa batshwantshisi se ka sebetsa jwalo ka mokgwa wa tlhophiso ya setjhaba moo ditshwaneleho tse ding tsa bohlokwa tsa batshwantshisi le ntshetsopele ya bona ya boikwetliso di amang katleho ya bona indastering ya bonono ya boqapi naheng ya Ghana. Ho ile ha sebediswa mekgwa ya patlisiso ya boleng ba pokello ya datha, haholo-holo mokgwa wa dithuto tsa maemo a mangata. Manollo ya datha e entswe ho sebediswa manollo ya maikutlo ho hlwaya matshwao a moruo a setso a kentsweng tshebetsong ya batshwantshisi ba mehleng ya kajeno indastering ya boqapi ya Ghana. Manollo ya sehlooho e entswe ka ho hlophisa dihlooho tse hlahang, diphethene le dikamano ho tswa ho datha e kopantsweng ho fana ka ditemohisiso tse molemo tsa hore na ke eng e etsang hore motho a atlehe mosebetsing wa bonono ka diindasteri tsa boqapi tsa Ghana. Patlisiso ena e ne e batla ho kenya letsoho dingodilweng tse teng ka ho eketsa maikutlo a Maafrika mabapi le tlhophiso ya bonono le tlhahiso ya setso indastering ya boqapi. Phuputso e boetse e totobatsa ho se lekane ho baetsi ba melawana ho etsa maano le ho kenya tshebetsong mekgwa e nepahetseng ya ho sebetsana le ho se lekane diindastering tsa boqapi. Ho feta moo, e tla etsa bonnete ba hore ditsebi tse hlwahlwa diindastering tsa boqapi dia tsejwa le ho tshehetswa ho hodisa moruo wa Ghana le ho matlafatsa bonngwe ba setjhaba.