By Tilda Acorlor
Hundreds of school children from across the Ho Municipality gathered at the Ho Jubilee Park for the third edition of the Young and Loud Festival, a vibrant celebration of teenage creativity and talent.
This year’s event was held under the theme “Our City, Our Future Teen Creativity for Environmental Action.”
The purpose of the festival was to inspire young people to use their artistic abilities to promote environmental awareness and drive positive change within the Ho Municipality.
The Young and Loud Festival is an initiative of the Young and Safe Project under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA-II) program.
It featured a diverse range of performances, including dance, poetry, music, artwork, face painting, and skating, with various creative displays.
Students exhibited their talents, with many incorporating environmental themes into their acts.
There were colorful, electrifying dance performances and moving poetry recitals that were highlights of the day, along with art pieces that reflected the festival’s environmental focus.
In the dance category, the group,11:59 Creators wowed the crowd with their electrifying moves and secured first place. Beat Breakers came in second, while DOF Academy took third.
In music, Zigi Dube emerged as the winner, with Jacky as the first runner-up and Kato GH in second place.
In the art category, TED Creations were declared winners, Kingsley Apedo was the first runner-up, and Arts Show secured second runner-up.
For poetry, the Eloquent Poets won first place, followed by Battah Verrity in second and Akogo Bless in third.
All winners in various categories received a cash prize of GH¢1,000, the second runner-up received GH¢600, and the third-place contestants took home GH¢400.
A standout performance was delivered by Demzy Baye, one of Ghana’s finest dancers, who captivated the audience.
The judging panel included renowned creatives and content experts, Endurance Grand, Jonilar, and Jude, who assessed the participants’ performances across different categories.
Artist Kpese Boii also made an appearance, contributing to the excitement and energy of the festival.
Participants expressed their joy at being part of the celebration, noting that the platform not only allowed them to show their talents but also encouraged them to think critically about their environment.
The festival was made possible through the collaboration of Node Eight, Fondation Botnar, Love Aid Foundation, the Ho Municipal Education Directorate, and the Ho Municipal Assembly.
