
A Palette of Possibilities: Exploring the Potential of Youth Culture and Creative Arts for National Development
Issue: Vol.6 No. 11 2025 Article 6 pp. 1124 – 1140
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20256116 | Published online 25th November, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper explored the intricate nexus between youth culture, creative arts, and national development, emphasising the role of young populations as pivotal agents of socio-economic transformation. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks, through discursive evaluation of rhetorical strategies and societal resonance, the study discussed how youth-driven cultural expressions and creative practices foster innovation, social cohesion, and cultural identity within Ghana’s development milieu. It further explored the potential of the creative sector as a strategic lever for sustainable development, advocating for policy interventions that nurture youth participation in cultural industries. The discussion suggests that empowering youth engagement in the arts can serve as a catalytic mechanism for enhancing national development trajectories through fostering creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and social inclusion. Such an environment facilitates opportunities for youth to cultivate character, acquire knowledge, skills and develop innate talents and abilities. Based on these analyses, a key recommendation is that government policies should prioritise and vigorously promote investment in young people by harnessing their creative potential and culture for youth-centred sustainable development. Such an emphasis is essential for fostering sustainable socio-economic growth and ensuring political stability within society.
Keywords: Youth Culture, Youth Subcultures, Development, Creative Arts, Policy
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Reuben Agbelengor Glover is a senior lecturer in the Department of Publishing Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He holds an LLB (Substantive Law), BL (Professional Law), an MFA and a BA Art from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana and Ghana School of Law, Accra. He is also a certified teacher with Teachers Certificate ‘A’ (Post-Secondary) S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana. His research interests include Intellectual property law, visual culture, cultural policy studies, design and illustration. Email: reubenglover.cass@knust.edu.gh, reubenglover.rg@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3119-1659
Michael Ato Essuman is a lecturer in the Department of Publishing Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He holds a PhD in Art Education and a BA (Publishing Studies) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. He is also a certified teacher with Teachers Certificate ‘A’ (Post-Secondary). His research interests include Literary arts, Textbook Publishing, Textbooks Assessment, Evaluation and Selection, Art Education, General Publishing, Information Design and Digital Publishing, Book Design and illustration, Designing Learning Resources, Editing, Computer-Aided Design and Illustration, Educational Innovation and Leadership Science, Higher Education use of Educational Media and Textbooks. Email: maessuman@knust.edu.gh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3309-9161
Duke Peprah Mensah is a lecturer at the Department of Publishing Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. He has over six years of industry experience, having worked as Editorial Manager and Content Editor at a reputable book publishing firm in Accra, Ghana’s capital. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Publishing Studies as well as an MPhil in Business Administration both from the KNUST. He is currently pursuing his PhD. His research interests include content creation, editing, publishing, marketing, education, and digital business. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6311-7885
Selasi Awusi Sosu is an international artist and art educator. She teaches courses in art at the Department of Art Education, University of Education Winneba (UEW). She has been exploring the medium of glass and its aesthetics through photography/videography, sound and installation as part of her PhD research, work which has been exhibited in Ghana and abroad. Her interest in imaging, exploring visual culture, collaboration and education led her to pioneer the on-going collaboration Exploring Visual Cultures between three departments in UEW, the Academy of Fine Art, the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich and other international partners. https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6238-713X
Glover, Reuben Agbelengor, Michael Ato Essuman, Duke Peprah Mensah, and Selasi Awusi Sosu. “A Palette of Possibilities: Exploring the Potential of Youth Culture and Creative Arts for National Development.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no. 11 (2025): 1124 – 1140. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20256116.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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