EXCLUSIVE: Ghana’s capital, Accra, will this month host a selection of interesting industry names such as S.W.A.T. creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Paul Garnes, Ava DuVernay’s longtime producer, as part of the inaugural Ghana Creative Economy Initiative.
The 2026 Ghana Creative Economy Initiative was developed and curated by Dorina Amina Abubakar, a Ghanaian-British producer, film programmer and creative industries strategist, who also serves as the Program Director of African Creative TV at USC.
The Initiative is structured around three strands: an intensive Directing Lab for established producer-director teams from across the African continent, a series of free public masterclasses for Ghanaian creatives, and a Creative Economy Summit featuring industry, investors and policymakers.
The Directing Lab began on July 14 and ends on July 23. The directing cohort features eight producer-director teams from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, whose credits include projects for Netflix, Showmax and Amazon Prime Video. They will take part in an intensive 10-day workshop led by veteran TV director Rachel Raimist, whose directing credits include Elsbeth, Bel-Air, Queen Sugar, CSI: Vegas and Fantasy Island, and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, best known for creating the CBS drama S.W.A.T.
The Directing Lab participants are: Nicole Amarteifio, Maame Adjei, Princess Nkrumah, Gene Adu, Judith Audu, Uyoyou Adia, Adeniyi Joseph Omobulejo, Precious Okpala, Brian Munene, Likarion Wainaina, Mkamzee Mwatela, Louiza Wanjiku, Phuthi Nakene, Vivek Mehta, Nomusa Nzima and Athi Petela.
The Initiative’s free masterclass sessions will run from July 20 to 24 at venues across Accra, including Google Accra, Silverbird Cinemas, Akuna Pod, the American Spaces Library, and the Local Community Engagement program. The series will feature sessions on development, pitching, packaging, micro-dramas, mobile cinema, and pathways to market, led by Quan Phung, Paul Garnes, and Sidra Smith.
Paul Garnes at a teaching session.
The centerpiece of the program will be the Creative Economy Summit on July 22 at Google Accra. The Summit will convene filmmakers, investors, technology companies, corporate leaders, policymakers, and cultural institutions to explore how storytelling, digital innovation, and strategic investment can accelerate Ghana’s creative economy.
Participating and supporting organizations across the initiative include Google, Akuna Group, Multichoice, MTN, Afrofuture, The Blackstar Experience, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana’s National Film Authority, and the Global Media Alliance. Sahihi Africa, led by Becky Muikia, is an Implementing Partner.
“Africa is producing extraordinary creative talent,” Dorina Amina Abubakar said in a statement ahead of the event, “but the next chapter of growth depends on building stronger professional networks, developing globally competitive projects and creating meaningful pathways to investment and international collaboration.”
Abubakar added: “As a Ghanaian, I have seen firsthand that Ghana has all the ingredients to become a leading creative economy hub, and this initiative is about bringing together the people, ideas and partnerships that can help accelerate that future.”
Abubakar continued to say the event will be “more than a one-off summit”, adding the Initiative will be a “platform for long-term collaboration between global experts and African creators, industry leaders, technology companies, investors and institutions.”
“We want creatives to leave not only inspired, but better connected, better equipped and better positioned to compete on the global stage,” she said.
