The National Theatre was opened in 1992 to spearhead the Theatre movement in Ghana by providing a multi-functional venue for concerts, dance, drama and musical performances, screenplays, exhibitions and special events. In Ghana, theatre as an artistic form has existed for centuries in the traditional dramatic expressions of society, however, the National Theatre Movement (NTM) was conceived around the time of Ghana's independence in 1957 to help remold the new nation's cultural identity. The theatre is governed by the National Theatre Law 1991, PNDC Law 259. The building houses the three resident companies of the National Dance Company, the
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...
, and the National Theatre Players.
Structure
The theatre has a building area of and is sited near the junction of the Independence Avenue and Liberia Road. The building has complicated construction moulding and novel exterior features. When looked at from a distance, the whole structure looks like a gigantic ship or a seagull spreading its wings. The theatre located in the
Victoriaborg district of
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, was built by the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and offered as a gift to Ghana.
National Dance Company
The National Dance Company is also known as "The Ghana Dance Ensemble." The company was first established at the Institute of African Studies, the University of Ghana as the first of its kind in 1962. It was then directed by Emeritus Prof. J.H. Nketia and was endorsed by Kwame Nkrumah in 1962. The company moved to the National Theatre in 1992 with Emeritus Prof. Mawere Opoku as their artistic director. Since then, the company has had other directors such as David Amoo (2006 – 2013), Mr. Nii-Tete Yartey (2013-2018) and Stephany Ursula Yamoah (2018 to present).
The Drama Company
![20000 cedis (2002)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/20000_cedis_%282002%29.jpg)
The Drama Company is one of the three Resident performing groups of the National Theatre of Ghana. It was established in August 1983 as a Model Repertory Troupe to facilitate teaching, research, and experimentation at the University of Ghana, Legon. Then, it became the resident theatre for the theatre upon its completion in 1991.
Concert Party (Ghana)
The concert party, a theatre show which peaked in the early twentieth- century is a crowd-puller at the theatre. The concert party, although has its origins in Britain, was remodeled by Ghanaian artists and became a popular form of theatre in the 1950s and 1960s. Besides being turned into films, television series, photoplay, and cassettes, the concert party has been cherished for its theatre performances, often held at the national theatre. In fact, the medium was used for 'theatre-for-development' to discuss topics such as family planning, AIDS and environmental protection, an idea originally pioneered by the Workers Brigades and
Efua Sutherland
Efua Theodora Sutherland (born 27 June 1924 – 2 January 1996) was a Ghanaian playwright, director, dramatist, children's author, poet, educationalist, researcher, child advocate, and cultural activist. Her works include the plays ''Foriwa'' ...
.
See also
*
1992 in architecture
*
Accra International Conference Centre
The Accra International Conference Centre is an events venue in Accra, Ghana. Other venues include the Ghana Trade Fair Center and the National Theatre, but the Conference Centre is the most popular due to its size and capacity as compared to th ...
*
Accra Sports Stadium
*
Architecture of Africa
Like other aspects of the culture of Africa, the architecture of Africa is exceptionally diverse. Throughout the history of Africa, Africans have developed their own local architectural traditions. In some cases, broader regional styles can be id ...
*
Culture of Ghana
Ghana is a country that has native groups.
People Akans
Akan kings, once renowned for their splendor and wealth, retained dignitary status after colonization. Traditional '' kente'' cloth is woven outdoors, exclusively by men, in complex pattern ...
*
List of national theatres
Several countries have one or more national theatres. This component in the name of a theatre indicates that the funding is not only a concern of private investors or the local city, but of the national or federal budget. The Comédie-Française in ...
References
External links
National Theatre of Ghana - the NEW page at Ghana-Net.com !
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1992 establishments in Ghana
Buildings and structures in Accra
Diplomatic gifts
Government buildings in Ghana
Government buildings completed in 1992
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
Theatres in Ghana
Theatres completed in 1992
Chinese aid to Africa