BTA2023 Louis Lamis, filmmaker and CEO of Liezer-Legacy Productions, has urged the government to create more conducive circumstances for young creatives to thrive.
Lamis, speaking at the 2024 Level UP event, explained that governments have made several unfulfilled promises to the industry.
“I think the government hasn’t been fair to the creative industry. They rely on us to communicate serious policies they want; they rely on creatives to do their campaigns.”
“If you look at previous elections, the strongest points for campaigns have been their songs. Yet, what are they doing to foster an environment in which these creatives can thrive?”
“I believe we’ve received a lot of promises. “They have failed us all,” Lamis said.
Level UP is an annual seminar hosted by the ASOR mentoring network to encourage Ghanaian youth. The non-profit organisation provides coaching and mentoring, creating a community where ideas and expertise are shared to assist young people in exploring possibilities for establishing successful lives and fulfilling their aspirations.
Lamis also talked about how the government might help the creative environment and what challenges creators confront.
“It’s an ecosystem,” he added. “You can’t improve one aspect of a building; you have to start from scratch. If you want to make films, you need to start with authors. What institutions train our writers? How well-prepared are they? When they write, who will adapt their work into a film or a stage play?”
“Are there auditoriums or cinemas where these productions will be premiered? Are there platforms where they can be streamed? My mother would not want to go to Netflix to view a movie because she would not comprehend the complexity or the kind of movies available. But will my mother enjoy Ghanaian-made films? Yes. Where will she acquire them? That’s tricky. “If you put it on YouTube, someone might take it down, cut it up, and profit from it.”
“So copyright laws are not being enforced. Ghana’s royalty systems are not strong. “The law does not protect creators,” Lamis explained.
Dr. Shalom Addo-Danso, the founder of the ASOR mentoring network, discovered that young people struggle to find areas where they may contribute while pursuing graduate school.
“Through our interactions with the participants, we’ve noticed that there are some missing links and gaps in their understanding of preparing for graduate studies, especially in terms of conceptualising what they want to do,” he told me. “It is critical to define your problem and fill any gaps. So, I believe it is critical for our pupils to grasp the principles they are learning so that they can expand on them in the future.”
Ms. Adwoa Pomaa Danquah, CEO of YAISL’s Kitchen, encouraged the kids to develop soft skills that will help them succeed after school.
“After school, everyone looks to leaders for jobs. So, being unemployed becomes an issue because we believe our government has failed us. We are encourage grads to start something. “Learn a basic skill,” she said.
