SANEGBAA 2020: David Dontoh to run a master class on use of Ghanaian languages

All too soon, 21 February will be here and another edition of Sanegbaa by the Bureau of Ghana Languages to commemorate the 2020 UNESCO International Mother Language Day will be witnessed.

This year all indications gathered proves that the festival would be bigger and better than it was last year! The festival planned to begin with screening of films well produced in the Ghanaian languages is designed to be followed up with a Master class by the ace actor and Chairman of Ghana Film Authority, Mr. David Dontoh, on the topic “Effective Use of Ghanaian Languages in Ghanaian movies”.

This segment is intended to help film producers use the right Ghanaian words, phrases, clauses, sentences and expressions and in their right context when producing their movies. By this, it is the hope of the Bureau that Film Producers will become good ambassadors of Ghanaian Languages to the world and also play important role in their preservation.

Aside the Master class, the festival will also host the Ghanaian Music legend, Nat (ive) Amandzeba Brew in an exclusive conversation on how he has been successful using Ghanaian Languages in the production of his music, host participants in different traditional games, folk tales, folk music, riddle & proverb contest, exhibition/sales of materials produced in the Ghanaian languages, workshops on how to write and read in the Ghanaian languages, launch of a book (of translated poems of Prof. Lade Wosornu into 13 Ghanaian Languages) and a grand conversation.

The Special Guest of Honour for the day will be Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture) while Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo (Head of Accra UNESCO Office) be the Chairperson and Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng (former President of Ghana Association of Writers, former Chairman of National Media Commission and currently Chairman for the Pan African Writers Association Steering Committee), the Keynote Speaker.

Other dignitaries who will be at the festival include Hon. Dr Ziblim Idi (Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture), Mrs Ama Serwaa Nerquaye-Tetteh (Secretary-General of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO), Mr Ernest Boateng (Board Chairman of the Bureau of Ghana Languages), Prof Kofi Anyidoho (Poet/Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana), Dr Clement Appah (Senior Lecturer, Linguistics Department, University of Ghana), Prof Lade Wosornu (Poet and retired Surgeon), Prof. Kofi Agyekum, Dr. Samuel Awinkene Atintono (Principal of Accra College of Education among others.

Performances for the day will include drama by the Obra Akan Drama group, poetry performances by different spoken word artistes, storytelling, puppetry, cultural dance performances among others.

The venue for the festival remains the premises of the Bureau of Ghana Languages behind the 37 Military Hospital, Kawukudi, time, 10:30 am and date, Friday, 21 February, 2020. Entry is free. Supporters of this year’s edition are the Ghana Commission for UNESCO and Yumvita.