Charles Cobbina, the Project Lead for the Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project, is currently in the United Kingdom for a two-week working visit.
The main purpose of his visit is to explore opportunities for partnerships with city-based associations and organizations for the project, which was launched in 2020 at the behest of the Western Region Coordinating Council.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project aims to make the twin city the preferred destination for Christmas revelers.
The project, which spans from December 19 to January 2, will feature several events and unique places of interest, including a waterfall, crocodile pond, fort, museum, and other historical grounds.
The highlight of the project is the masquerade parade, which will bring together over 40 masquerade groups showcasing iconic dance moves to brass band music.
During his visit, Charles Cobbina aims to meet with Ghanaian societies, government officials, and organizations he has already spoken to from Ghana.
His goal is to “sell” the project to Ghanaians living in the UK and explore the possibility of staging a masquerade parade in one of the cities in the UK. He also plans to start discussions on forming groups in the UK who will participate in the project in the future.
Additionally, Charles Cobbina intends to meet with representatives of media houses in the UK to promote the project and encourage them to attend this year’s edition, with a specific focus on rebroadcasting the masquerade parade to their audiences.
Looking ahead to the 2023 edition, Charles Cobbina is hoping to build on the success of last year’s project, which attracted 200,000 new visitors from Ghana and across the world.
He plans to introduce new and attractive events, including 5 masquerade festivals in 4 different locations, over 60 other events to complement the masquerade carnivals, and a bus ride to historical sites running for 10 days.
With the ultimate goal of promoting cultural exchange and collaboration between Ghana and the UK, Charles Cobbina is optimistic about the potential for the Sekondi-Takoradi Christmas City Project to assume a global dimension.
