Poetry is a powerful platform that artists have used to speak on issues affecting society and while the art form has helped to drive change in many countries around the world, it has not received much consideration in Ghana.
That situation has been a worry for young artists who have decided to make a living out of poetry and spoken word. And one of them, Sefashi the Poet has bemoaned the constant neglect.
“Music and movies are not the only divisions of the creative arts sector but unfortunately, they are getting all the attention, patronage and even government investment to the detriment of other art forms, especially poetry.
“While there are arguments that music and movies are important tools for social change, poetry can equally serve the same purpose and more when it gets worthy consideration as an art form.
“Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been lots of education about the virus including the press briefings by the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Health but I believe that spoken word can also be employed to educate people on the virus.
“And this can be done when we are also given the platform. I see it to be a developmental tool because it speaks to the soul and anything that speaks to the soul changes life but I think we have not been given the platform to be recognised,” he said.
As someone who does poetry full time, the biggest challenge for Sefashi the Poet is poor remuneration.
“Both spoken word and poetry don’t pay in Ghana. A lot of poets who have a passion for poetry are moving to other areas or doing different things aside poetry because what you make is not enough.
“For instance, the highest amount I earned was GH¢500 and even with that, it was quite loaded with hours of intense performances so it takes passion to be in it,” he added.
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