He spoke at the Efua Sutherland Centenary celebration honouring her 100th birthday at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, The event was organized by the Institute of African Studies, along with the Mason Gross Theatre and the Centre for African Studies at Rutgers University, under the theme: "Efua Sutherland and the Creation of African Scholarly Paradigms Since 1960: Continuity or Rupture" and lasted from March 27 to March 28, 2025.

Early Inspirations and Creative Writers Association

Professor Anyidoho said he had dreams of becoming a famous poet, inspired by his family's poetic legacy growing up. However, he often wondered how he could achieve his dream and make a meaningful impact on his nation. “My greatest fortune was when I came to Legon only to receive an invitation from Auntie Efua to come and see her, and from that point on, my journey with her began, moving from project to project. Our first project focused on writing specifically for children”, noted Professor Anyidoho. The Creative Writers Association organized by Efua Sutherland also significantly influenced his early career as a writer. He added that prominent members, including Dr. Jawa Apronti, played a key role in nurturing young talent.

Collaboration and Children’s Literature

From the early 1950s until her death, Dr Efua Sutherland was a passionate advocate for children and played a significant role in developing educational curricula, literature, theatre, and film for Ghanaian children. Professor Anyidoho emphasized Sutherland’s love for children's literature and its impact on their sense of identity. “As a teacher, Sutherland went into a classroom with textbooks that did not feature the faces and the voices of her own children, her own society, and therefore she decided not only to complain about it, but to do something about it”, said Professor Anyidoho. According to him, Sutherland began a collaboration with a professional photographer, and they produced “some remarkable texts for the children”.  Two notable pictorial essays from their collaboration include Playtime in Africa (1960), a book co-authored with Willis E. Bell, which highlights the importance of play in children’s development, and The Roadmakers (1961), a book which continues to foster a love for African stories among children. Additionally, Sutherland created two animated rhythm plays, Vulture! Vulture! and Tahinta, both written in 1968.

The renowned Efua Sutherland Children's Park holds a significant place in both Ghana's history and the global community, and it has an interesting backstory. Professor Anyidoho noted, “I remember the day she called a group of us including myself and Dr Abdullah and said I'm going to make a case for a park for children in the middle of the city of Accra. She successfully convinced the military government of the time to relocate judges and other high-ranking officials from their bungalows to make way for what is now the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park."

Established in 1979, the park was designed to be a recreational and educational facility for children. It includes multiple playgrounds, amphitheatres, event spaces, and a botanical garden. According to Professor Anyidoho, Efua Sutherland was not content with having just one children's park in Accra; she actively worked on developing a model system for public children's parks nationwide in the 1980s, expanding the initiative to other regional capitals, such as Kumasi and Tarkwa.

“Don't just write it and have it published from home. Put it on stage. Above all, this work is meant for children, so get the children themselves to perform it”, recalled Professor Anyidoho. These were Efua Sutherland’s remarks on a poem she asked him to write that would celebrate Africa's fight for liberation and the independence movement across the continent. He submitted a draft of the poem to Sutherland, only to receive a further assignment of having children demonstrate it through drama. According to Anyidoho, the children played it out with joy, an experience that brought him lasting satisfaction.

Community Projects and Documenting Theatre History

Efua Sutherland undertook several community projects, as highlighted by Professor Anyidoho. Key amongst them was the storytelling project, which led to the establishment of the Kodzidan (Story House) in Ekumfi-Atwia, located in the Central Region. In this project, she engaged the chief and the entire community. Professor Anyidoho noted that through that initiative, the community members were able, to not only revive the storytelling tradition but also pass it on to the younger generation. “Even when many of the young people migrated to Accra, they formed their own storytelling group and a professional collective in the city”, he said. The Kodzidan gained international recognition as a pioneering model in the field of theatre for development.

According to Professor Anyidoho, Efua Sutherland was tireless in her efforts to document the history of the theatre movement, particularly through concert parties. He collaborated with her on the 25th anniversary of the drama studio documentation project, aiming to record not only the history of the theatre movement in Ghana but also to include key figures from that history, such as Kusum Agoromba, and Auntie Ama Baoabeng. He added that Sutherland brought these early stars to the stage to share their experiences with younger audiences, inspiring the next generation.

As part of his address, the professor cautioned today's generation about the dangers of side-lining the communities we claim to serve. “One of the greatest injustices we commit as young individuals is using our people merely as informants, acknowledging them in footnotes or the introductions of our volumes, while their voices are ultimately being hijacked,” he noted. He encouraged a collaborative effort with communities and the need to actively include their voices in all works, citing Efua Sutherland’s community storytelling project as an example.

Dr. Efua Sutherland’s centenary (1924-2024) provides a valuable opportunity for scholars to reflect on the contributions of pioneering academics to research, rooted in African histories and creativity. Celebrating this centenary recognizes Sutherland's impact and highlights the importance of women's roles in history. It also aims to spark discussions on deviations from the vision of early scholar-activists like Sutherland and affiliated Africa-based institutions since the 1960s.