The rehabilitation works on the Koforidua Cultural Centre in the Eastern Region has been completed and commissioned.
The commissioning of the renovated edifice of the Centre for National Culture was done by the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Dr. Ziblim Iddi.
Addressing a gathering at the commissioning of the 1,500 seating capacity building, Dr. Ziblim Iddi said the renovation of the theatre was in fulfilment of the manifesto promise of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to pursue the construction of large seating theatres in all the regions apart from Greater Accra.
According to him, renovated edifice would help revive all sectors of the arts and its attendant benefits and opportunities to the practitioners and professionals in the regions and the country at large.
The Deputy Minister also noted that the lack of appropriate cultural infrastructure has hampered efforts to achieve the cardinal objectives on which the Cultural Policy of Ghana is premised.
“The lack of infrastructure has led to a virtual collapse of the culture and creative arts in the industry. Performers have no decent halls to put up drama or musical concerts or for rehearsals and Fine artists from all categories also lack studios and craft shops to create their works or distribution outlets and exhibition halls to market them,” he stated.
The renovation of the centre which is a Public-Private Partnership project was supposed to have been completed and inaugurated ahead of the National Festival of Arts and Culture – NAFAC.
Also present were Baffour Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng the Krontihene of the New Juaben Traditional Area and the Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour.
The Koforidua Cultural Center building was first built in 1964 by Kwame Nkrumah and during the erstwhile President, John Kuffour administration between 2001/2009 renovation works was started to house offices and an auditorium with a 1,000 estimated sitting capacity when completed but abandoned ever since.
