President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to open up the country’s creative space to all citizens, emphasising unity, cultural pride, and national inclusivity.
Speaking at the Freedom and Justice Monument at Black Star Square in Accra during the launch of the Black Star Experience on May 1, he urged Ghanaians to embrace their shared heritage and contribute to a vibrant, forward-looking cultural movement.
The Black Star Experience is a flagship initiative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto. It aims to position Ghana as Africa’s leading destination for heritage tourism, arts, and diasporan engagement.
The programme includes a year-round calendar of activities such as street carnivals, film weeks, fashion festivals, food fairs, theatrical performances, and concert party competitions. The launch event brought together creatives, policymakers, cultural stakeholders, and media representatives, marking a major milestone in redefining Ghana’s cultural identity and boosting the creative economy.
In his address, President Mahama inspired attendees with a vision of collective creativity and lasting cultural pride.
“As your president, I will open the creative space. I’m going to open the door for you, and when I open that door, let nobody close it again,” he declared.
Encouraging collaboration and innovation, he said, “We’re going to do this together, all of us, and so whatever ideas you have, we’re open to it. Let this be the start of the Black Star Experience.”
President Mahama also stressed that the initiative transcends politics and must be preserved regardless of the ruling party.
“We’ll have this over from government to government to government, it doesn’t matter whether it’s NDC or NPP or PNC or CPP, we are all the Black Star, we’re Ghanaians, and we’re proud of our heritage and our culture,” he stated.
