The agenda for the event was dubbed “ADESA VILLAGE –“Reviving our folksongs and storytelling”
The event initiated with a cultural music display at 9: 00am as guests and student from participating schools arrived. Cultural dance and drumming was displayed by the chief, queen mothers and elders as they arrived at the venue.
Masters of Ceremony for the program Akosua Frimpoma Acheampong and Padi Joshua took up the stage as they welcome the participating schools and invited guests. A brief introduction of the event was given stating: Adesa Village being a cultural festival organized every year for students to embrace their cultural value and as well have command over the Ghanaian language and culture. It was mentioned Jah Rock Preparatory School has been the emerging winner last year.
Welcome Address by Mrs. Alice Alima Kalla. She highlighted on the mandate of center for national culture shared in the objective of the Adesa village in promoting storytelling and folksongs since it has been a part of our tradition. She encouraged all students and guest to support the program to achieve its goal. Her speech ended with a congratulatory message to all the participating schools.
Statement from all participating schools was taken. All schools introduced themselves and anticipated to do their best in order to emerge winners and as well value their tradition.
Four Judges represented from University of Ghana and gave their remark and moved for the competition to begin.
The Adentan Community School, in the Adentan Municipality, emerged as winner of the 2022 Adesa Village Competition for basic schools in the Greater Accra Region.
They beat 11 schools to come out as winners of the storytelling and folk songs competition organized by the Greater Accra Regional Centre for National Culture, at the Arts Centre.
The 31st December Women’s Movement Basic School placed second while Jah Rock Preparatory School placed third.
The winners received a trophy, two certificates for participation to school and staff and products from sponsors, while special prizes were awarded to the best-behaved school, best folksong, best story and best storyteller.
The fourth position goes to Nungua Methodist School.
Mrs. Alice Alima Kala, the Greater Accra Regional Director, CNC, said the competition was to revive the dying art of storytelling and folk songs, teach the children English and local languages and promote reading habits and the need for social interactions.
She said it had, therefore, become necessary for young ones to develop an interest in studying storytelling, understand it and have a passion for it.
Mrs Kala said through consultation with management, the competition in the coming years would be extended to other regions, beginning with the Central Region in 2023.
Madam Janet Edna Nyame, the Executive Director, National Commission on Culture, said the competition brought out the rich culture in the stories and songs, which were the hallmark of the Ghanaian tradition, and it exposed the young ones to their cultural heritage as a people.
She called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) to place more emphasis on culture and art, saying “organizing a programme like this comes with its challenges and with the GES and the Ministry involved, it might reduce these challenges a bit,” She noted.
Mr Michael Abubekr, the Public Relations Officer of the Centre, expressed appreciation to parents, students and the participating schools for the overwhelming support to make the programme a success, saying it was important for children to be abreast with their culture because it was what identified them as Ghanaians.
“Foreign cultures are good, but we should not forget the fact that we are Ghanaians and, therefore, going by tradition, we should always embrace our culture, eat what we have, wear what we have, speak our language and do things like Ghanaians, that shows us our true identity,” he added.
The Adesa Village Competition is a storytelling competition for Primary and Junior High School students that seek to revive and bring back the fading art of storytelling and tap into the rock elements of storytelling like folk songs, riddles and proverbs.
During the competition, contesting schools are expected to bring their own story lines to be performed.