“Yoomo BƐ Ga” or simply put “No old ladies in Accra”. This is the theme for La Paillote Takpepke of Alliance Française Accra coming up on 29th June, 2016at 7:30 p.m.
The term “Yoomo BƐ Ga” is a catch phrase in Ga, the native language of the people of Accra. And it is attributed to people and situations which exhibit a forever young spirit. This term were purposely chosen as the theme of the project that seeks to maintain in life items that were supposed to be put away. The project therefore juxtaposes the concept of recycling where old and otherwise outdated items are brought to life.
Yoomo BƐ Ga is a project which seeks to spread the message of recycling through the arts. Through dance, music, sculpture, painting and other art forms, the project seeks to demonstrate that recycling can be made a part of normal everyday life.
Waste generation is a normal aspect of life and it requires as much attention and details as any other life activity. However, due to its unattractive and unpleasant attributes, people have shied away from the several potential roles of wastes in recycling and revenue generation. The estimated 3,000 tons of waste generated on a daily basis in Ghana have therefore become a canker due to a lack of appreciation for recycling.
The goal of Yoomo BƐ Ga is to add an artistic touch to the recycling campaign in order to make it appealing to the public. The project aims to raise awareness on existing recycling projects by bringing together efforts from various individuals in a documentary and also link the essence of the forever young spirit of the term to recycling, through a drama and music.
The documentary highlights the works of six Ghanaian artists who make use of “waste materials” ranging from sawdust and plastics to metal scraps, in producing beautiful and inspiring works of art. Artists featured in the documentary include Nana Anoff, TeiHuagie, Jonathan Amartey, Nana Yaw Arthur-Baiden and Solomon Ajirakor.
The night will see performances by Reggae artist, RasBomba, who is well known for his hit songs, Danquah Circle and Borla Bird; and a drama by a group of students from the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, Legon, in a dance drama choreographed by AtsuSokpor. The performance employs elements from Gome, to create a dance piece focusing on the culture of maintenance and recycling.
As an active participation of the numbers is required to make recycling efforts work, Yoomo BƐ Ga seeks to make its audiences feel a part of a great cause and encourage the general public to subscribe to ideal methods of waste disposal.
