PRESS RELEASE Ohio University Celebrates 20 Years of Global Arts with March Festival Keynote Address from Ghana’s Minister of Culture The sixth Ohio University Global Arts Festival returns March 17-19, 2026, marking two decades of international arts programming in Athens. The three-day event will feature performances, lectures, film screenings, and workshops from artists around the world, with most events free and open to the public. Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and Member of Parliament for Ketu South, will deliver the festival’s keynote address on Thursday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Baker University Center Theater. Her appearance is part of the International Conference on Spectrums of Creativity: Exploring Global Performing and Visual Arts, running concurrently with the festival. World Music and Dance Concert Marks Director’s Final Year The 14th World Music and Dance Concert will showcase traditional and contemporary performances representing Ghana, Brazil, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. Performers include Azaguno, Inc., the National Dance Company of Ghana, Ohio University ensembles, and more than 25 alumni from Ohio University and West Virginia steel bands and African ensembles. Professor Paschal Yao Younge, who co-founded the festival with Professor Emerita Zelma C.M. Badu-Younge, will direct his final concert after 20 years at Ohio University. The festival evolved from earlier initiatives including the AZA African Music and Dance Concert and Festival (2005-2010) and subsequent World Music and Dance programming.
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