Browsing by Author "Agbeyewornu, Kofi Kemevor"

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    The Agbeliza festival in Avenorpedo:- Its implication for aesthetic education
    (1991-06-19) Agbeyewornu, Kofi Kemevor
    The political and culture history of Avenorpedo has long suffered from inadequate references made to Avenorpedo by Mr. M.A.Y Ahete, a professional teacher, very little was known about the role of Avenora in the political and cultural history of the Eves. Information relatives to this remained the monopoly of the traditional historians. The author’s humble contribution of the documentation of the events surrounding the people of Avenorpedo is to portray a very significant cultural heritage of the Avenorpedo people vis-à-vis the ‘Agbeliza’ festival. It is also to establish the claim that the people of Avenorpedo originated the ‘Agbliza’ festival, the first and only festival of its kind in the Avenor Traditional area. The topic for this long essay has been originated by the writer to concur with what actually goes on during the ‘Agbeliza’ festival. This ‘Agbeliza’ festival has not been referreed to as major festival for the Avenors since its institution. However, it is through its origin and careful study of its celebration that the writer has deduced that it might be the magor festival for the Avenors. One cannot say that the Avenors have realized or recognised the festival as a very important to them, but one can say that they feel it is their civic and cultural duty to comply with all regulations concerning the festival and to participate to make it successful. The author has finally attempted to establish the fact that the people of Avenorpedo have developed concepts of aesthetic which are expressed in the various tenets of their artistic culture. In this regard, he has tried to record all important and informative aspects of the observances and events that are embodied in the ‘Agbeliza’ festival with keenest interest and the aesthetic experience gained from it. Towards this cause, the author has attempted to introduce a background history of the people of Avenorpedo. This, he has done by casting a cursory glance at the origin of the people and the events that led to the celebration of the festival. Through this featival, people get to know the occupation of the Avenors, and also the identification of artistic symbolisms within the Avenor Traditional Area. These artistic symbols have been described and their meanings brought to the fore. The continued celebration of this festival and participation in this festival will help contribute largely to the maintenance of this rich culture heritage of the people of Avenorpedo.
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    Ghanaian festivals as a resource for art education
    (2004) Agbeyewornu, Kofi Kemevor
    The organisation of social life in indigenous societies gives special place to a festival, for there is a general consciousness of its potential as a vehicle for communicating or affirming the values of a society and strengthening the bonds that bind its members. Festivals are very important occasions, ceremonies and rituals which perineate the rhythm of the earthly life of a people in question. Festivals are of historical (commemorative), harvesting (harvest and post harvest) and for the gods. Art is actively and inseparably interwoven with the life of man. The arts therefore play a predominant role in the celebration of our festivals. The visual arts, performing arts, body arts and verbal arts which contain records of achievements of a people come into play. For example, the rich stool regalia of the various ethnic chiefs and the sculptures, such as the spokesmen’s staffs do provide us with much knowledge about our traditional culture. The festival celebration is a process of passing on the cultural values from one generation to another but unfortunately the youth do not fully participate in these activities or have little understanding of the values and symbolic functions of much of the imagery of the past. This has resulted in an upward degeneration of artform usage among the youth. The need to go back and pick up the gems of the past as the ‘Sankofa’ symbol depicts, calls for the strengthening of institutions that promote the authentic cultures of Ghana such as festivals.
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    Implications of festivals for aesthetic education in Ghanaian Schools
    (1992) Agbeyewornu, Kofi Kemevor
    Formal education in art at all levels in Ghana fails to devote much time to the establishment of a systematic foundation for aesthetic education. Aesthetic5as a. form of knowledge involving appreciation and criticism is an essential human experience which is carried out not only in an isolated school environment, but in wider context of the community and the whole universe at large. Aesthetic education is an important vehicle for the educational and cultural process which contributes positively to individual and national development. This thesis seeks to document and critically analyze, synthesize and evaluate the implications of festivals for aesthetic education in Ghanaian schools. A breakdown of the main problem reveals the link between the lifestyles of the various ethnic groups and their arts which are represented in their traditional festivals. The research identified some of the Ghanaian festivals and revealed that artifacts are composites of the traditional festivals; some of which would have to be identified in some selected festivals. Chiefs are considered patrons of the artistic and cultural heritage of the people - thus when a chief is out on a ceremonial occasion, in all his pomp and pageatry, the scene equals a mobile exhibition of both the visual and musical arts. The analysis of these symbolic objects showed that the elements of art were so organised as to expose balance, rhythm, contrast, symmetry,’ unity and harmony. The last part of the research asserts that it is possible to suggest programmes and methodologies to effect aesthetic education using these art concepts in the festivals. Schools can be taught the philosophies, values, needs and beliefs behind the festivals. Through the aesthetic education our cultural heritage could be inculcated into our youth in order to maintain, protect, project, preserve and to modernize it. Such attempts to transfer wholly traditional materials into new contexts will be clearly designed to be educative. Looking at the nature of this study/thesis and the amount of work and research involved to make it wholistic and acceptable the writer decided to divide the work into six chapters. The first chapter being the introductory deals with the problem and its setting, Chapter two surveys the related literature. In chapter three, history, values and needs of some selected Ghanaian festivals have been highlighted. The fourth chapter forms the main body of the thesis and provides fresh information on the place of art in the festivals; however, a greater part of which is unpublished. The chapter indentifies the Ghanaian artifacts in the festivals. The fifth chapter directs the sources of these festivals that could be used for aesthetic education. The research then ends in the sixth chapter forming the conclusion. It provides a summary of the main ideas, suggestions and recommendations.