Stories and facts
The Centre for National Culture, Accra, also known as the Accra Arts Centre, is a prominent agency operating under Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts.
Established as a cultural hotspot in Ghana's capital, it offers a vibrant arts and crafts bazaar and traditional textile market where visitors can explore locally made traditional handicrafts such as Kente cloths, sculptures, carvings, leather bags, jewelry, beads, African costumes, and woven baskets. The centre's art galleries showcase a variety of historical items representing Ghana's rich history and heritage, as well as crafts from neighboring nations.
The Centre's origins trace back to the Institute of Arts, established in 1961 under the Office of the President. It later evolved into the Arts Council of Ghana, headquartered in Accra. In 1989, the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) enacted Law 239, leading to the formation of the National Commission on Culture, which replaced the Arts Council of Ghana and established regional centres for national culture, including the Greater Accra Region.
The Centre for National Culture aspires to achieve the status of a world-class centre of arts and culture, engaging in vibrant cultural activities, dynamic innovation, and exquisite artistic development. It mission is to promote, sustain, and develop cultural and artistic excellence in the Greater Accra Region while emphasizing its unique characteristics, and to actively influence government art and cultural policies for sustainable national development.
The Centre collaborates with industry, commerce, and political authorities to enhance the understanding of arts and culture's cultural, social, and financial significance, integrating cultural disciplines into semi-commercial units and offering training and development opportunities for artistic and cultural workers.
The Centre fulfills its mission through various functions and activities, including providing opportunities for artists and cultural workers through programs and exhibitions, producing and exhibiting a wide range of arts and crafts, organizing competitions and festivals, offering training in traditional performance and artistic fields, and arranging tours across the country for academic, tourist, and research purposes.
Visitors to the Accra Arts Centre can explore a bulletin board listing upcoming programs, plays, and cultural events. The journey often takes visitors through the bustling Tema Station market centre in Accra Central, and the surrounding neighborhood offers historical sites worth exploring.
The Arts Centre features a Textile and Weaving Section specializing in Kente and traditional fabrics, a vibrant Craft and Textile Market, and a Ceramics and Pottery Section.
The Centre offers a diverse array of traditional art and craft items, including textiles like Kente and wax prints, beads and jewelry with unique glass Krobo beads and Adinkra motifs, wooden drums, sculptures, masks, and paintings.
The Centre for National Culture, Accra, stands as a vital institution in Ghana's cultural landscape, promoting artistic and cultural excellence and sustainable national development, with the Accra Arts Centre serving as a dynamic marketplace showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and inviting visitors to engage with its vibrant artistic traditions.
