The 2012 Accra International Children’s Arts Festival on Monday opened in Accra with the aim to unearth the creative ability of children and to assimilate the culture of Ghana through practice.
The three-day event on the theme: “Our Arts, Our Development, Our Childrenâ€, in its 18th year, was the longest running consistent program of the National Theater and was also to jump-start the memorable occasion of the launch of the 20th anniversary of the Theater.
Speaking at the launch, Mrs Amy Appiah-Frimpong, Deputy Executive Director, said research had shown that students, who participated in the art, developed learning skills that were invaluable to them as students and as productive citizens.
She said the three-day programme would see more than 10,000 participants from basic and Junior High Schools in Accra and its immediate environs and respectively from all ten regions in Ghana.
The Accra International Children's Arts Festival had gone through various development stages since its inception in 1994 and had become a very popular programme that disseminate information, educates and entertains all categories of people, especially kids.
Mrs Appiah-Frimpong noted that the programme would showcase an array of artistic performance in the various arts form including, drama, music, acrobatic, poetry, storytelling, beauty talent, drum appellation, and brass band.
"The children would be expressing their ideas, feelings and their personal interpretations through dance, drama, music, poetry, design and acrobatics.
In order to accomplish this they have learnt how to reach beyond what they thought of as a limit, they have researched the pieces being presented to make it a more meaningful experience".