Ghana’s corporate sector has been urged to move beyond traditional sponsorship and invest directly in the country’s creative intellectual property.
Henry Herbert Malm, Acting Executive Director of Ghana’s National Theatre, made the call during the 2026 Ghana Theatre Festival in Accra.
Mr Malm said theatre productions and other creative works should be viewed as economic assets capable of generating long-term commercial value, rather than solely as beneficiaries of corporate social responsibility programmes.
He identified the Ghana Theatre Festival, the National Symphony Orchestra and productions staged at the National Theatre as examples of creative intellectual property with potential to attract investment, create jobs and contribute to Ghana’s creative economy.
“Corporate Ghana needs to see creative intellectual property as an investment opportunity,” Mr Malm said.
He argued that greater private-sector investment could help strengthen the sustainability of the performing arts while creating opportunities for young people working in the creative industries.
The Ghana Theatre Festival is being held from 28 September to 4 October 2026 at the National Theatre in Accra.
The festival brings together theatre practitioners and other creatives in a programme celebrating Ghanaian stories, performance and culture.
Mr Malm’s comments come amid growing calls for stronger protection and commercialisation of intellectual property in Ghana’s creative sector, as artists and institutions seek ways to generate sustainable income from their work.
