National Cultural Foundation expresses grief over colleague Kofi Akobi

Barbados: The Minister of the National Cultural Foundation – Kofi Akobi, has lost his life. On March 22, 2022 (Tuesday), the foundation has expressed grief and showed support to the family.

The Barbadian National Cultural Foundation took social media to express condolence. The post read, “The Foundation is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former colleague, Kofi Akobi.”

“Kofi was dedicated to his duties as a theatre practitioner, and administrator and the management and staff of the NCF extend their sincere condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. May he Rest In Peace,” the condolence post further read.

Kofi was a former reporter with the Barbados Re-diffusion Group before joining the NCF in 1998 and retiring in 2013. Along with Elombe Mottley, he was one of the founding members of the Barbados National Theatre Workshop just prior to Independence in 1966. During his time at the NCF, he was instrumental in creating the TAPP Work programme (Theatre Arts Play Production Workshop), which was developed to train persons in play production at the community level.

He was also an active member of Elton’s Black Night in 69 & 70, a space for artists-activists to gather and perform. The artistic community was integrally linked to Black consciousness and Pan African movements back then.

Akobi was responsible for many training initiatives in Theatre Arts, most notably:

He has worked closely with the Division of Youth Affairs in the establishment of the Youth Achieving Results Drama programme, which introduced talented youth to drama, performance and edutainment.

In 2008, he led the Youth component of the Barbados Contingent in their participation at CARIFESTA 10, in Guyana; in 2005, the deceased minister initiated the development of the film pilot for ‘The Baobab Tree’, which premised the development of a children’s educational TV series which centred Barbadian as a viable tool for educating our youth.

He also initiated the presentation of Barbadian traditional medicines at CARIFESTA 8 held in Suriname in August 2008.