The Winneba Fancy Dress Festival: Colours of Emblems and Costumes, and Their Influence on Masqueraders Performances

Despite the special prominence of colours in any visual design and acts, costumes and acts and their relative importance displayed in the Winneba Fancy Dress (Masquerade) festival have not been investigated. The study adopted a qualitative research approach to understand the importance of colours of costumes and acts and their roles in the Winneba Fancy Dress (Masquerade) festival. Five groups were purposively selected for the study. Observation and interviews were employed as data collection methods. The data were analysed thematically. The study disclosed that colours used to display some cultures familiar among the Europeans, Americans, and Asians were displayed in the Masquerade Festival. Additionally, it was revealed that the colours used to make the costumes for the Masqueraders, to some extent, got them to act in ways based on the nature and colours of the costume. The study also found that the colours depicted unity, culture, and acting elements in the masquerade festival. In line with these findings, the study recommends that graphic designers experiment with more colours and costume displays during the Masquerade Festival to develop other eccentric harmonious colour costumes and acts applied in other traditions. Keywords: Acts, colours, costumes, festival, masquerade. DOI: 10.7176/ADS/99-03 Publication date: February 28th 2022

Recapturing the Spirit in Ancient Cooking Pots

Cooking pots have been important in understanding ancient social and technological environments. In Ghana, the traditional cooking pot is a common sight in most rural communities; same can however not be said in the urban areas. This study thus revisits the traditional cooking pot, investigating its physical characteristics and its relevance in the modern Ghanaian society. The study was descriptive, using primary data collected from 222 respondents selected from selected pottery centres in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data collected from the respondents with the help of the statistical package SPSS (version 22). The study established that the earlier techniques used in developing the traditional cooking pots stood the rigorous demands on their materials’ durability, making them survive for several centuries as evidenced by some archeological findings of early pottery products. The study also established that the ancient cooking pots had better fracture strength with higher ability to survive impact. It was observed that ancient cooking pots had better thermal conductivity and demonstrated higher skill level. However, the study observes that the traditional cooking pots have reduced in both purpose and symbolism and subsequently reduced in current usage. The study identifies the traditional cooking pot’s weak aesthetic appeal as a main factor driving its dwindling relevance. The study recommends the need for the pottery industry as a whole to be developed through a systematic integration of an improved quality of the various class of pottery product into societal demands and deliberately positioned to attract the needed patronage across the various societal engagements and needs. Keywords: Pottery, Cooking Pots, Clay DOI: 10.7176/ADS/97-03 Publication date: December 31st 202