Koforidua, Aug 18, GNA - The European Union (EU) Commission, has established a cultural initiative support program with a grant of 2.1 million euros, to support the Arts and Culture Industry in Ghana. The Chairman for the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Professor George Hagan, disclosed this in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Administration of the (NCC), Michael Attipoe, at the closing of the 10th Palmer Buckle Vacation Youth Camp in Koforidua. He said the support program had become very necessary since craftsmen, artistes and other players in the arts and culture industry need to be supported and encouraged to grow their business.

Prof. Hagan mentioned that the growth of the Arts and Culture industry was one of the social interventions towards the achievements of the objectives of the millennium development goals of creating wealth and reducing poverty.

He expressed worry over the fallen standards of morals where people were bent on making wealth by any means possible, without any recourse to hard work, integrity and honesty, and added that, parents had the responsibility in training their children to appreciate the Ghanaian culture, which frowned on indiscipline.

Prof Hagan commended Bishop Palmer Buckle for establishing the vacation camp for children to teach them the arts and culture values, and reiterated the need for all to work to promote the arts and culture industry.

The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei-Boateng described the camp as an important education centre "to make up for the cultural deficiencies in the various school curricula and to sow the seed of nationalism and moral uprightness in the pupils".

He also commended Archbishop Palmer Buckle for the initiative and the Centre for National Culture for hosting and facilitating the education for the past 10 years.

The Palmer Buckle Vacation Camp was established 10 years ago in the New Juaben Municipality by His Grace the Archbishop of the Accra Diocese of the Catholic Church, Charles Palmer-Buckle, as an education and cultural retreat programme to occupy the children during vacations.

This year's camp attracted over 150 pupils from 18 different schools both first and second cycles within the municipality and were taken through cultural Drama and Dances, Visual arts, Practical music and Cultural Games facilitated by the regional Centre for National Culture.