About

Dr. Francis Gbormittah lectures in courses in the area of media arts studies and practice, scenography and African art, in the Department of Theatre Arts, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana. In addition to his teaching duties, he supervises undergraduate long essays and graduate dissertations. Dr. Gbormittah’s career in academia started in 1999 as an Assistant Lecturer at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), now Institute of Film and Television (IFT), University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC). After obtaining his M.Phil. degree in 2001, he was promoted to the position of lecturer in 2002 and rose to become the Head of the Department of Design at NAFTI (2006-2007), and Associate Director (research), African Cinema Research and Documentation Centre (ACREDOC), also at NAFTI (2002-2007). He joined the Department of Theatre Arts in the University of Ghana, Legon, in 2007. Dr. Gbormittah has gained a broad academic and professional perspectives through his engagement in various national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, film festivals, competitive and invited presentations, external assessments and part-time lectureships, and special projects. He is a member of editorial board, proof-reader, reviewer/copy-editor, and peer-reviewer for a number of national and international journals. He has contributed in the running of the University of Ghana through his service on various statutory and adhoc boards and committees, including the Curriculum Development Committee (2013-2014), Graduate Studies Committee (2012-2014), both at the Department of Theatre Arts, the Board of Faculty of Arts (2012-2013) and Examiners Board (Aug. 2009-Sept. 2010 & Jan.-March 2008) at the University, business manager and member of the editorial board of Journal of Performing Arts, published by the SPA (2009-2014), and Visual Arts Programme Curriculum Development Committee at the SPA (Oct. 2007). Dr. Gbormittah served as academic advisor for Levels 300 and 400 students at different times. He previously served on numerous boards and committees and in various positions outside of the University of Ghana, including Board of Directors, Ghana News Agency (GNA) (2020-2022); 2022 Edition of CitiTV Entertainment Achievement Awards (Jan.-Feb. 2022); Editorial Sub-Committee, Funeral Planning Committee of the Late Flt.Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, former President of the Republic of Ghana (Oct. 2020-Jan. 2021); Governing Council of the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA) (2013-2016); Board of Governors, NAFTI (2009-2011); Ministerial Task Force/Committee, Ghana Unified Audio-Visual Archive (GUAVA) Project for Archiving of Ghana’s Heritage Materials, Ministry of Information and the Development Communication Enhancement Programme (Aug.-Dec. 2003). He served in positions such as Co-Chair, Coalition of Book Industry Stakeholders, Ghana (COBIS) (2020-2022);President, Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) (2019-2022); Member/Secretary, Steering Committee, Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) (2018-2020); and Head of Academic Affairs at the Creative Writing Academy (CWA), Accra (2016-2017). Dr. Gbormittah’s professional practice include, set designer for staged performances like Love Net (2023) and Alien King (2012); Co-content creator, International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) Conference Promo (2022); Director and Camera person, Every Active Entity (video coverage of staged performance, 2021); Writer and director of corporate documentaries, product promotional and banking hall advertisements for the University of Ghana Cooperative Credit Union (UGCCU) between 2015 and 2021; Lead-director, The Trial of JJ Rawlings (staged performance, 2018); Director, Samantase Village (video coverage of staged performance, 2015); Art Director, Chronicles of Odumkrom: The Headmaster (film, 2015); Writer, Director and Graphic Designer, SPA at 50 (documentary, 2012); Producer, Production Designer and Actor, The Destiny of Lesser Animals (film, 2011); Line producer for Pan-African Reality Show on HIV/AIDS (2007); Writer, Camera person and Director, NAFTI’s Participation in Market Mission and Windhoek Show 2006 Windhoek, Namibia (documentary, 2006). Dr. Gbormittah is a member of a number of professional associations including the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), Ghana Association of Writers (GAW), Art Directors Guild of Ghana (ADGG), an affiliate of the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), African Literature Association (ALA), and the University Film and Video Association (UFVA).

Education

Dr. Gbormittah attended NAFTI from 1995 to 1998, for a diploma in Film and Television Production. His Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree in Screen Studies (now Media and Culture Studies), 2001, is from the Gilmorehill Centre for Theatre, Film and Television in the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in indigenous communicative acts and modern mass media, 2020, from the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in the University of Ghana, Legon. Dr. Gbormittah has received training in creative writing, 2011, from Ghana Book Trust (GBT)/Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE), Accra; film criticism, 2005, NAFTI, Accra; and teaching methodology and assessment techniques in tertiary level, 2003, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Winneba.

Research Interest

Dr. Gbormittah’s research interests include, news-sharing; indigenous forms of communication in relation to modern mass media; aesthetics of film and television; reception studies of narrative and viewers’ reactions; images, and how they are perceived; technology of film and television in relation to cinematic realism; African cinema (the cultural context and colonial legacy); and performance studies (politics, identity construction, in relation to space and place). In recent times, his research also centered on film heritage studies, cultural production, cultural policy, and media infrastructure studies. 

Publications

Book chapters and journal articles – 

Gbormittah, F. (2024). “What dreams, what projects, what challenges, for a writers’ association?” In 

K.A. Twumesi (Ed.). Ghana Book World No. 12. Accra: Ghana Book Development Council. pp. 

41-94.

Gbormittah, F. (2021). “The current state of creative writing in Ghana: Challenges and opportunities.” 

In K.A. Twumesi, J. Agyiri, E. Agyei (Ed.). Ghana Book World No. 7. Accra: Ghana Book 

Development Council. pp. 50-58.

Ayesu, E., Gbormittah, F. & Adum-Kyeremeh, K. (2016b). “British colonialism and women’s welfare 

in the Gold Coast Colony,” in Africa Today, Vol. 63, No. 2. pp. 52-54. 

Gbormittah, F. (2016). “Performance, oral poetics and ideo-aesthetic heritages in the ‘Search for 

the Soul’ of a poet-cantor.” Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Vol. 1 (Issue 2). pp. 

21-42. 

Gbormittah, F. (2014). “Film education and identity construction in a multicultural context.” In A.M. 

Asiedu, J. Collins, F. Gbormittah & F. Nii-Yartey (Ed.). The Performing Arts in Africa: 

Ghanaian Perspectives. Oxfordshire: Ayebia Clarke Publishing. pp. 123-131. 

Gbormittah, F., Adinku, G.U. (2013b). “The impact of ‘performativity’ on the form and aesthetics of 

African screen media in production and reception.” The Performer: Ilorin Journal of the 

Performing Arts, Vol. 15. pp. 68-74.

Osei Owusu, J. & Gbormittah, F. (2013a). “FESPACO 2013 Honours African Women,” in African 

Agenda, Vol. 16, No. 2. pp. 35-36. 

Gbormittah, F. (2011). “Spirit and lessons of international co-productions and the making of The 

Destiny of Lesser Animals (Ghana/USA, 2011).” Journal of Performing Arts, Vol. 4, No. 2. pp. 

47-56. 

Gbormittah, F. (2009). “Technological innovations and realism in cinema: A case of Steadicam and 

André Bazin’s Theory of Realism.” Journal of Performing Arts, Vol. 4, No. 1. pp. 109-122. 

Forewords, blurbs and poems – 

Gbormittah, F. (2022b). “Foreword.”In O. Allotey, A. Asiedu, G.D. Antonio & Ugoh, S. (Ed.). An 

Anthology of Ghanaian Creative Writing: Poetry, Short Stories and Drama 2021 Collection 

(pp. iii-iv). Accra: Ghana Association of Writers.

Gbormittah, F. (2022a). “The Plight of a Child Slave.” In O. Allotey, A. Asiedu, G.D. Antonio & S. 

Ugoh (Ed.). An Anthology of Ghanaian Creative Writing: Poetry, Short Stories and Drama 

2021 Collection. Accra: Ghana Association of Writers. p. 44.

Gbormittah, F. (2021). “Foreword.”In N.S. Achampong (Ed.). The Lockdown: An Anthology of 16 

short creative nonfiction accounts about living with COVID-19 in 2020 (pp. iv-v). Accra: Ama 

Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing, African University College of Communications (AUCC).

Gbormittah, F. (2021). “Blurb.” In D. D’Siafa. Beautiful Mind (p. iii). Accra: Firstline Publishing.

Gbormittah, F. (2020). “Blurb.” In G.K. Tordzro & A.J. Ayuune. Ancestral Code (back page). Glasgow: 

AdinkraLinks Publications.