Lead consultant with Robert Smith Law Group, Lawyer Bobby Banson has advised Ghanaians in the creative arts space to move from the word of mouth and handshake agreements, to prioritizing contracts in all dealings with clients.
To him, “before any person leaves their home and is approached by a client as a creative arts person, there should be an existing contract which can be tweaked to meet specific needs of clients as and when.”
Admitting some creative arts person are particular about contracts, he revealed some of them end up being taken advantage of by managers. In as much as it is believed the manager is to supervise contracts and other day to day of the artiste’s life, Lawyer Bobby Banson argues they (artistes) should be involved in the process.
“Recently it came to the news that a top musician had a 6 month contract with a supermarket and the but for 3 years, the supermarket still aired the advert he was featured in but he didn’t get any money for that. This makes us ask what kind of contract he signed? So the question is what contract did the artiste manager and the client agree on? Sometimes the manager takes advantage of the artiste and although work in the creative space is all about demand and supply, the artistes suffer especially when there is no contract,” the lawyer told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.
Dispelling the myth around the cost of hiring a lawyer and urging artistes to consult more with lawyers, he disclosed most of his colleagues have worked with some creative arts person “and never charged them abnormally.”
According to him every human being needs four key people in their lives; a doctor, lawyer, accountant and priest. “It is always about building a relationship with such people and not about money. Artistes need to disabuse their minds on the cost of lawyers because lawyers are willing to assist the creative arts industry,” he emphasized.
The 2nd Law for Society Public Seminar Series on the theme; ‘How to Maximize Benefits for Creative Artists’ will take place at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra on Friday, December 3, 2021. The seminar will focus on how creatives can protect their income and survive especially in their old age.
