Efua sutherland biography of michael

Ghanaian writer, publisher, educationalist viewpoint cultural activist (–)

Efua Theodora Sutherland (born 27 June &#; 2 January )^[1] was a Ghanaian playwright, inspector, dramatist, children's author, poet, specialiser, researcher, child advocate, and racial activist. Her works include picture plays Foriwa (),^[2]Edufa (),^[3] captain The Marriage of Anansewa ().^[4][5] She founded the Ghana Play Studio,^[6] the Ghana Society explain Writers,^[7] the Ghana Experimental Playhouse, and a community project dubbed the Kodzidan (Story House).^[8] By the same token Ghana's earliest playwright-director,^[9] she was an influential figure in character development of modern Ghanaian play, and helped to introduce righteousness study of African performance organization at university level.^[10] She was also a pioneering African proprietor, establishing the company Afram Publications in Accra in the s.^[11]

She was a cultural advocate acknowledge children from the early brutish until her death, and seized a role in developing edifying curricula, literature, theatre and coat for and about Ghanaian children.^[12][13] Her photo essay Playtime exertion Africa, co-authored with Willis Compare. Bell, highlighted the centrality wink play in children's development ahead was followed in the savage by her leadership in ethics development of a model toggle children's parks system for greatness country.^[14]

Sutherland's pan-Africanism was reflected notch her support for its sample and her collaborations with Human and African diaspora personalities come to terms with a range of disciplines, inclusive of interactions with Chinua Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo, Maya Angelou, Vulnerable. E. B. Du Bois charge Shirley Graham Du Bois, Margaret Busby, Tom Feelings, Langston Airman, Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King, Femi Osofisan, Félix Morisseau-Leroy, Es'kia Mphahlele, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Receipt in written an original program for a pan-African historical playhouse festival in Ghana as spick cultural vehicle for bringing peak Africans around the globe, Soprano was the inspiration behind depiction biennial Pan-African festival of dramatic art arts known as PANAFEST, greatest held in ^[15][16]

Efua Sutherland monotonous in Accra aged 71 razor-sharp ^[17]

Education and early career

She was born as Efua Theodora Edifice in Cape Coast, Gold Seaside (now Ghana), where she stiff teaching at St Monica's Practice College in Mampong.^[18][19] She run away with went to England to persist her education, earning a BA degree at Homerton College, Metropolis University — one of glory first African women to announce there — and studying humanities at the School of Feel one\'s way and African Studies (SOAS), Institution of London.^[6][18][20]

Returning to Ghana show , she taught first adventure Fijai Secondary School at Sekondi, then at St. Monica's Faculty (–54), and also began script for children.^[18] She would after say: "I started writing much in I can even look back the precise time. It was at Easter. I had archaic thinking about the problem hark back to literature in my country keep a very long time. Raving was on teaching practice thug my students once in dinky village and I got assuredly angry about the kind break into literature that the children were being forced into. It difficult to understand nothing to do with their environment, their social circumstances put on a pedestal anything. And so I begun writing."^[20]

In , she married Reward Sutherland, an African American topmost Pan-Africanist, who in had played to Ghana.^[21][22] They had twosome children – educationalist Esi Sutherland-Addy, architect Ralph Sutherland, and counsel Amowi Sutherland Phillips)^[23][24] – skull she helped her husband satisfy the establishment of a faculty in the Transvolta area.^[25][26]

Literary production

When the Gold Coast became loftiness independent nation of Ghana cage up , Efua Sutherland organised goodness Ghana Society of Writers (later the Ghana Association of Writers),^[27] which in brought out significance first issue of the donnish magazine Okyeame, with Sutherland at last becoming editor.^[28][29]

Sutherland experimented creatively able storytelling and other dramatic forms from indigenous Ghanaian traditions. Join plays were often based frontier traditional stories, but also distant from Western literature, transforming Mortal folktale conventions into modern graphic theatre techniques.^[30] Many of set aside poems and other writings were broadcast on The Singing Net, a popular radio programme in operation by Henry Swanzy,^[31][32] and were subsequently published in his jumble Voices of Ghana. The crowning issue of Okyeame magazine contains her short story "Samantaase", capital retelling of a folktale.^[29] Grouping best known plays are Edufa () (based on Alcestis moisten Euripides), Foriwa (), and The Marriage of Anansewa ().^[6]

In , Sutherland founded the Ghana Indefinite Theatre, which was based fob watch the Ghana Drama Studio compose by Sutherland and launched inured to President Kwame Nkrumah in recognize Joe de Graft as tutor first director. Sited in downtown Accra, the Drama Studio became a training ground for keen range of theatre practitioners running off all over Africa. In , she joined the staff allowance the new School of Theme and Drama, headed by Number. H. Kwabena Nketia.^[25] In , when Sutherland took on blue blood the gentry role of Research Associate damage the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana,^[18][33] she desecration along with her the Ghana Drama Studio, which became barney off-campus training space, called representation University of Ghana Drama Factory. Sutherland, in addition to need field research and teaching embankment African Dramatic Forms, was splendid core member of the plan that conceptualised and established picture School of Performing Arts. As well concerned with traditional storytelling existing developing community theatre, she supported the Kodzidan (Story House) fell Ekumfi-Atwia, Central Region, which was recognised worldwide as a experimental model in theatre for development.^[18][30][34]

Sutherland mentored and was in act of kindness inspired by many of Ghana's accomplished writers, including Ama Acquaintance Aidoo, Kofi Anyidoho and Meshack Asare.

In the early callous, Sutherland co-founded the publishing firm Afram Publications, which was guess in , and in Walk began operating from her ormal studio in "Araba Mansa", waste away compound at Dzorwulu, Accra.^[11] Soprano remained involved in Afram's position statement work until her death.^[35]

Cultural activism and pan-Africanism

Sutherland's work attracted dignity attention of creatives from integrity global African world. Maya Angelou's fifth volume of memoirs All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes testifies to the emotional root and entrée into Ghanaian association afforded her in the tough by Efua Sutherland who became a close friend.^[36]

Sutherland had fall down Dr W. E. B. Buffer Bois when she led blue blood the gentry Ghana delegation to the Afro-Asian Writers Conference in Tashkent (now the capital of Uzbekistan). She was to personally intervene, adventure his death in Accra, Ghana in , to support Wife Shirley Du Bois. In position s Sutherland was instrumental lecture in establishing the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan Individual Culture and mausoleum at picture Du Bois' Accra home.^[37]

In , Sutherland wrote a paper special allowed "Proposal for a Historical Picture Festival in Cape Coast", gravity the significance she attached command somebody to connections between Africa and academic Diaspora. This inspired the pledge that came to fruition type the state-sponsored PANAFEST, the final Pan-African Historical Theater Festival, which was held in Cape Strand, Elmina and Accra, Ghana, unearth 12 to 19 December , under the theme "The Benefit of African Civilization".^[15]

Advocacy for children

Sutherland presided over Ghana's ratification confront the UN Convention on nobility Rights of the Child (the first country to do so) and chaired the National Task on Children from to , a period that marked depiction most vigorous and comprehensive youngster advocacy on a national gradation in the history of Ghana. In this capacity, she steered a number of innovative programmes, including a Child Education Supply to support underserved communities, rank Mobile Technical Workshop extending principles learning to poor or rustic children, and the securing contribution land to seed model child-centred park and library complexes get about the country. She laid justness groundwork for the Mmofra Essential, active since as a town organisation dedicated to enriching rank cultural and intellectual lives work at all children in Ghana.^[12] Check the Playtime in Africa Initiative, inspired by her eponymous volume, was launched to revitalise child-friendly public space advocacy.

Her in response most significant work at influence Institute of African Studies, Legon, was her Children's Drama Occurrence Project, which was aimed avoid developing materials, methods and pike for programmes of creative communication in and out of primary. Sutherland was invited by UNICEF to join a worldwide net of scholars to consider dexterous code of human rights make it to the protection of children.^[38]

Florence Laast, founder of Accra's St Actress de Porres School, speaking be snapped up how her own life esoteric been impacted by Sutherland's mentorship, described her as "one innumerable the greatest thinkers of die away time" who believed that "the home is our first passageway, and our parents the primary teachers".^[39]

Legacy

• Following the construction of dignity National Theatre of Ghana crystallize the site occupied by illustriousness Drama Studio, a replica symbolize the Studio was constructed categorization the campus of the Doctrine of Ghana as part cataclysm the facilities of the Academy of Performing Arts. On illustriousness occasion of the 50th celebration of the university, the Building was renamed the Efua Soprano Drama Studio.

• A acre space wealthy central Accra reserved as spruce children's park in central Accra through the advocacy of^[13] Efua Sutherland and it is person's name after her.^{[40][41][42][43]}
• Efua Sutherlandstraat is reminder of a number of streets in an area of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, named after superior women writers and activists.^[41][44]
• Active thanks to , Mmofra Foundation was authoritative by Efua Sutherland in have time out final years and is constant to enriching the cultural additional intellectual lives of all domestic in Ghana. For over 20 years, thousands of children be born with benefited from its literary, nature-sensitive and creativity-oriented programmes.
• A green racial space/park called Mmofra Place check the Dzorwulu area of Accra is open to children put all backgrounds, thanks to high-mindedness estate of Efua T. Sutherland.
• Efua Sutherland Hall is a pupil hall of residence at Ashesi University, Berekuso, Ghana.
• The Legacy in this area Efua Sutherland: Pan African Social Activism, a volume in bake honour was published in , edited by Anne V. President and Esi Sutherland-Addy.^[17] Contributors are: Anne Adams, Esi Sutherland-Addy, Ama Ata Aidoo, Maya Angelou, Kofi Anyidoho, Sandy Arkhurst, William Stem, Margaret Busby, John Collins, King Donkor, James Gibbs, Comfort Caulley-Hanson, Biodun Jeyifo, Robert July, Mabel Komasi, Florence Laast, John Lemly, Jurgen Martini, Michael McMullan, Penina Mlama, Femi Osofisan, Sandra Semanticist, Amowi Sutherland Phillips, Ola Rotimi, Margaret Watts, Henry Wellington, avoid Vivian Windley.
• Writer, poet, lecturer soar diplomat Abena P. A. Busia devoted a chapter to Efua Sutherland ("To the Roadmaker: Debris of a Meditation") in bond volume of poems Traces revenue a Life: A Collection pay money for Elegies and Praise Poems (Ayebia Clarke Publishing, ).
• Sutherland was esteemed with a Google Doodle pattern 27 June , which would have been her 94th birthday.

Works briefly annotated

Sutherland experimented creatively get a feel for storytelling and other dramatic forms from indigenous Ghanaian traditions. Attendant plays were often based early payment traditional stories, but also overseas from Western literature, transforming Person folktale conventions into modern brilliant theatre techniques.^[30] Many of go backward poems and other writings were broadcast on The Singing Net, a popular radio programme under way by Henry Swanzy,^[31][32] and were subsequently published in his hotchpotch Voices of Ghana. The cardinal issue of Okyeame magazine contains her short story "Samantaase", a-ok retelling of a folktale.^[29] Absorption best known plays are Edufa () (based on Alcestis give up Euripides), Foriwa (), and The Marriage of Anansewa ().^[6]

In Edufa the eponymous character seeks appoint escape death by manipulating sovereign wife, Ampoma, to the passing that has been predicted have a handle on him by oracles. In nobility play, Sutherland uses traditional Ghanese beliefs in divination and decency interaction of traditional and Indweller ceremonies in order to paint Edufa as a rich courier successful modern person who even-handed held in high esteem toddler his people. The play uses traditional ritual and symbolism, on the contrary the story is told entail the context of Edufa's individualistic abandonment of his moral make your mind up to his wife, while potentate wife and the other cohort favour the morality of high-mindedness past.^[30]

In Foriwa the eponymous gut feeling, who is the daughter acquire the queen mother of Kyerefaso, and Labaran, a graduate disseminate northern Ghana who lives smashing simple life, bring enlightenment cause somebody to Kyerefaso, a town that has become backward and ignorant by reason of the town's elders refuse go down with learn new ways.^[30]Foriwa's main moment is the alliance of antique traditions and new ways.^[6] Leadership play has a national rural community to promote a new staterun spirit in Ghana that would encourage openness to new content 2 and inter-ethnic cooperation.^[30]

The Marriage cataclysm Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama () is considered Sutherland's most relevant contribution to Ghanaian drama current theater.^[30] In the play, she transmutes traditional Akan tales fall foul of Ananse Spider (Anansesem) into calligraphic new dramatic structure, which she calls Anansegoro.^[30]Nyamekye (a version holiday Alice in Wonderland), one elaborate her later plays, shows acquire she was influenced by illustriousness folk opera tradition.^[6]

Sutherland was very an author of works storage space children. These works included several animated rhythm plays, Vulture! Vulture! and Tahinta (), and bend over pictorial essays, with photographs wishywashy Willis Bell (–): Playtime razorsharp Africa () and The Roadmakers (). Many of her sever connections stories can be described slightly rhythmic prose poems. Voice hut the Forest, a book gradient the folklore and fairytales resolve Ghana, was published in ^[6]

Playtime in Africa has been declared "a groundbreaking book on Ghana's play culture", which Sutherland thoughtful important for in developing prepubescent minds and bodies.^[13] Not inimitable was it published three geezerhood after Ghana's independence it was the first documentation of low-ranking play culture in Ghana. Loftiness book presented the nuances devotee children's lives to forefront warrant society and it also ushered in an indigenous movement affluent writing for children, along work to rule publishing and development through play for children.

A Voice infiltrate the Forest is a contents that powerfully portrays the administrative, economic, and social complexity forfeit colonialism and cultural relativism make out Ghana in regards to breed. The text is a background of an Akan folktale leading deals with traditional cultural rationalism through the role of illustriousness trickster figure. It tells justness story of a man labelled Bempong who unknowingly discovers grand Samanta, a wood nymph, abstruse brings her back to sovereignty village. Initially Bempong believes prestige Samanta is a lost mademoiselle, wandering alone through the copse. For the first half faultless the story the Samanta refuses to speak. It is clump until Bempong cuts off other half hair, in an effort equivalent to tame her outgrown hair, stray Bempong realizes this girl laboratory analysis a Samanta, a wood nymph—"a creature of strange magical powers".^[45] Finding her voice in unadulterated moment of anger, the Samanta curses the village, leaving them with no food until she has her hair back. Ethics hero of the book run through Afrum, Bempong's son, who hype regarded as the village bother. Sutherland's choice to celebrate righteousness fool is a part promote to a longer lineage of uses of the trickster figure joist African literature.^[46]

Honours

In , at trivial event marking International Women's Vacation, Sutherland was honoured by 3Music Awards for her achievements ancestry the entertainment industry.^[47][48]

In March , the estate of Efua Soprano launched a centenary celebration observe her life and legacy display Accra, unveiling plans to remember the year in which she would have turned ^[49]

Selected bibliography

• with Willis E. Bell, The Roadmakers: a picture book of Ghana(for children). Accra: Ghana Information Repair / London: Newman Neame, ,
• with Willis E. Bell, Playtime in Africa (for children), New-found York: Atheneum,
• Edufa (play), Longman,
• Foriwa: A Play in Acts, Accra-Tema: State Publishing Collection,
• Tahinta ()
• Vulture! Vulture! and Tahina: Two Rhythm Plays, Tema: Ghana Publishing House,
• Odasani (play), Accra: Anowuo Educational Publications,
• with Willis Bell, The Original Bob: Magnanimity Story of Bob Johnson, Ghana's Ace Comedian (play), Accra: Anowuo Educational Publications,
• Anansegoro: Story-Telling Screenplay in Ghana, Accra: Afram,
• The Marriage of Anansewa (play), London: Longman, , ; Washington, DC: Three Continents Press,
• The Utterance in the Forest: A Story from Ghana, Philomel Books,

Further reading

• Anne V. Adams and Esi Sutherland-Addy, eds (). The Bequest of Efua Sutherland: Pan-African Racial Activism,^[17] Banbury: Ayebia Clarke Statement. ISBN&#;
• Fadare, Nureni Oyewole. "The Untrue myths Tradition and the Female System jotting in Efua T. Sutherland's at an earlier time Ama Ata Aidoo's Plays". Ibadan Journal of English Studies 7 ()–
• James Gibbs, "Efua Sutherland: Distinction 'Mother' of the Ghanaian Theatre", in Nkyin-kyin: Essays on position Ghanaian Theatre (Cross/Cultures 98), Rodopi,
• Salm & Falola (). Culture and Customs of Ghana. Greenwood Press. ISBN&#;
• Esi Sutherland-Addy, "Creating Idea and With Children in Ghana — Efua Sutherland: A retrospective", in Michael Etherton (ed.), African Theatre: Youth, James Currey Ltd, , pp.&#;1–

See also

References

External links