http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/996 2026-03-11T15:25:18Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12246 Building and sustaining a performing arts market in Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana: A study of connections among universities and non-academic performing arts organisations Bello, Madinatu The performing arts constitute a significant part of the Ghanaian culture because they help in cultural identity formation, knowledge dissemination and in representing the mood of a society. Despite these positives, most performing arts organisations in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana have been facing numerous setbacks with regards to building and sustaining audiences and ultimately the arts market. Culturally, the people still assume that artistic offerings are a part of their everyday activities and must not be commodified even in the face of changing economic situations which had affected production costs, limiting organisational capacity to explore new promotional or marketing strategies for the building and maintenance of consumers. Thus, using an interpretive paradigm, I explored the current state of the performing arts market in the Cape Coast Metropolis, mode of audience development practices, success and challenges of promotional strategies employed using five performing arts organisations as my cases. The results revealed that the market was in a state of decline due to challenges with human, financial and physical resources, the unplanned nature of audience development practices and poor measurement metrics for strategies used which directly or indirectly rendered audience development activities less efficient. I recommended that performing arts organisation engaged in quality market research to understand the market space, audiences‘ needs, preferences, consumption patterns and barriers to consumption to inform their plan and strategy for audience development. I suggested a collaborative framework to audience development for groups to explore to build and retain audiences and the market. 2020-06-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12237 “Pɛrpl Greyps”: Kodzi In 3re Beatz Dawson, Nana Amowee This study explores musical composition within contemporary theatre to rejuvenate traditional musical legacies and challenge established artistic structures. Grounded in Ghana’s rich cultural diversity and inspired by the concept of sankɔfa (cultural return to roots), the research endeavours to craft artistic expressions reflective of Ghanaian heritage. Employing Artistic Research within the Arts-Based Research (ABR) framework, this study develops ‘Pɛrpl Greyps,’ a ‘programmatic visual’ music inspired by indigenous storytelling traditions. The composition aims to revitalise Ghanaian-Akan-Mfantse folklore (Kodzi) by integrating traditional rhythms, avant-garde techniques, and visual arts. A customised compositional framework is also devised to promote Ghanaian unity (nkabom). Integrating traditional Ghanaian rhythms into ‘Pɛrpl Greyps’ enriches its authenticity, while exploration of avant-garde techniques further revitalises Ghanaian ‘art’ music. The composition incorporates looping, aleatory, and eclecticism techniques enhanced by narrative art and music technology. The research employs auditory, visual, and ecological elements to shape musical concepts, emphasising the importance of documenting and analysing musical compositions. Recommendations include exploring traditional Ghanaian rhythmic resources, integrating diverse musical materials, and refining custom compositional structures with contemporary techniques and technology. Through this exploration, ‘Pɛrpl Greyps’ demonstrates the transformative power of music and art in celebrating cultural heritage, fostering unity, and facilitating shared experiences in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape. xv, 314p:, ill. 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12159 ‘Othered Bodies’: Interrogating Disability in the African Novel Aduse, Poku Samuel In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the study of how disabled characters are represented in African literature. This is partly inspired by the call for researchers and scholars to present the African perspective on the ongoing disability discourse which hitherto, was considered to be dominated by Western thoughts and ideas. In this research, I examine the representation of disabled characters in The Last Duty by Isidore Okpewho, The Beggars Strike by Aminata Sow Fall, Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia and The Book of Memory by Petinah Gappah. All these literary texts are novels by African writers and they involve the representation of characters who are disabled. By situating my discussions within disability studies, I examine how these characters are ‘othered’ by their respective societies as a result of their perceived body differences. I offer the hybrid interpretative framework as a viable way of reading the selected texts. This approach involves applying relevant perspectives on disability studies as they have developed over the years through a close reading of the texts while maintaining an eye on what may be described as ‘African’ as far as issues pertaining to disability representation is concerned. This study shows that characters whose bodies do not meet the societal perception of the ideal body are ‘othered’ based on their body difference. This therefore makes them victims of labelling, stigmatisation, stereotyping and marginalisation. In this regard, cultural and religious beliefs play a critical role in how bodies are perceived and treated in these societies. Again, this research shows that the intersection between sex and disability is at the core of the texts understudied. Even though the disabled characters are initially denied participation in the sexual activities in their societies, they find ways to fight for inclusion. I conclude that in their quest to present a realistic presentation of the disabled in their texts, the selected authors risk being accused of presenting mainly negative narratives about the disabled characters. xii, 242p:, ill. 2024-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12065 Musical Experience and Prophetism in Ghanaian Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity: A Study of the Mount Calvary Cross Ministry Entsua-Mensah, Theodora Music and religion are closely linked as seen in the use of music in many religious practices. Since the introduction of Christianity to sub-Saharan Africa, it has undergone several renewals with the current wave being Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity (P/c), which has been described as the fastest growing form of Protestant Christianity. Considered as experience-oriented, P/c presents the platform for exploring the experiential dimension of worship through music in the Ghanaian context. The purpose of the study was to examine the role of music in P/c ritual and to investigate the link between music and prophetism through the collective and individual lived experiences of members of the Mount Calvary Cross Ministry, a Ghanaian P/c church located in Accra. The ethnographic approach was employed. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2019 and 2021. The observation, interviews, and documents yielded over 30 prophecies/revelations related to music, and 13 shared religious/musical experiences. The data was analysed thematically and interpreted in relation to the theory of embodiment and Pentecostal/charismatic spirituality. The findings are that, music aids prophetism but it is not always a requirement in the performance of prophetic functions. The lived experiences of music and prophetism affirm the religious potency of music to trigger religious experiences when music-making is approached from the spiritual dimension through total engagement of both the material and immaterial aspects of the music-maker’s personhood. Health and wellbeing are benefits of P/c music-making as adherents encounter hierophany via prophetism. Thus, the grooming of church music-makers should encompass the technical and spiritual dimensions in order to achieve the therapeutic effects of music in worship. xii 231p:, ill 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z