The 2024 edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC)  has officially been launched today, August 6, at the African Continental Free Trade Area in Accra, with a call to action for citizens to promote peace and stability during and after the upcoming general elections.

The launch, chaired by Paramount Chief of Nkoranza Traditional Area, Nana Baffoe IV, was attended by dignitaries including Juliette Babb-Riley, High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana, chiefs, institutional heads and directors of the Centre for National Culture nationwide.

This year’s festival, themed “Beyond NAFAC @60: Harnessing Culture, the Pivot for Ghana’s Democracy and Sustainable Development,” will take place in Techiman, Bono East Regional capital, from October 25 to 31.

Addressing the gathering, the Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture and Arts, Nana Otuo Owoahene Acheampong, urged the public to use the platform to champion peaceful campaigns and maintain national unity. 

“As the nation prepares for the December general elections, it is important that we promote unity and peace before, during and after the elections. Our culture holds the key to ensuring unity and peaceful co-existence and NAFAC 2024 will definitely be the catalyst for achieving this goal.”

The 7-day event will feature a range of activities, including a grand durbar of chiefs and the people of Techiman and the rest of the country. Others are colloquium, women and girls day, master classes for creatives, conference and seminars for creatives, cultural practitioners and members of the academia, musical concerts, regional days, Mr and Ms NAFAC, traditional games, arts and crafts, bazaar and exhibitions throughout the 7-day event, youth day, international friendship night among others.

The NCC director also appealed to corporate institutions to support the event saying: “I am calling on Corporate Ghana to come on board to support the National Commission on Culture to organize a successful festival.”

About NAFAC

The National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) is a premier program of the National Commission on Culture (NCC) and its Centres for National Culture (CNC), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).

Held every two years, NAFAC is a vibrant celebration of the arts and culture, bringing together organisations and communities from across the country to showcase their unique heritage.

This week-long event highlights the rich diversity of cultures practiced nationwide, made possible through partnerships with the 16 Regional Centres for National Culture (CNC).