The Ghana Culture Forum was proposed and initiated at the UNESCO Consultative Forum on the “Power of Culture in Development” held at the erstwhile African Royal Beach Hotel, Nungua – Accra, on 28th April 2011. It became clear at the forum that the time was long past for a Civil Society Advocacy Forum on Cultural Heritage to be formed to pursue and intervene on issues related to the domain and its place in overall national development policies.
Sixteen pioneers (see table below) started working together to establish GCF as the advocacy platform for culture and development action. The initial name of GCF was Ghana Heritage Forum. However, after due deliberation, the house changed the name to Ghana Culture Forum to give it a much broader focus.
| Name | Organisation |
| Kojo Gavua | Professor, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, Legon |
| Michael Neequaye | Consultant |
| David Dontoh | ex-President, Concert Party Union |
| Akofa Edjeani | Actress |
| Amandzeba Brew | Musician |
| Madam Akosua Ofori Mensah | Book Publisher, Sub-Saharan Publishers |
| Nanabanyin Dadson | then the Editor, Graphic Showbiz, Accra |
| PaJohn Bentsifi Dadson | Freelance Culture and Tourism Writer |
| Nii Osei Agyei | GTV |
| Kofi Akpabli | Writer and tourism personality |
| Louise Akanlu | Documentary Film Maker / Theatre for Development Practitioner |
| Jojo Richardson | Film Maker (Videography) |
| Madam Modupe A. Nukunu | then of TV3 and now of Youth Bridge Foundation |
| Daphne Akonor | Attorney General’s Department |
| Akunu Dake | Heritage Development |
| Esi Sutherland-Addy | Professor, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon |
UNESCO graciously provided the initial grant and technical expertise to support the institutionalisation and official launch of the Ghana Culture Forum. Since the official launch on 14th March 2012, Esi Sutherland-Addy (Professor) and Akunu Dake served as co-conveners for the interim leadership till March 2019 when substantive leadership emerged after elections during the 2nd National Delegates Conference.