By
Tajudeen Sowole
To
celebrate 100 Years of Bilateral Relations between the UK and Nigeria, the
British Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) has taken started with art workshop
initiative tagged. Young Art @ 100.
The facilitator of the project,
Biodunomolayo Art Gallery stated that the workshops were held in the six
geo-political zones of the country. The galley, with it's team of
experienced facilitators in children art workshops has been organizing similar
workshops for over nine years.
When the workshop took
oof in, at Biodun Omolayo Art Gallery , City Mall, Onikan, Lagos Ms. Lynda
Ashaolu of the British Council and the director of the gallery, Mr Omolayo addressed
the art teachers participants. Ashaolu advised the participants to take full
advantage of being the only zone having their own session within an art gallery.
Facilitators and other participants during the workshop |
Speaking on the success of the
workshop, few days ago, Omolayo stated that a day after the Lagos take off, the
project continued in Enugu zone, just as Abuja and Port Harcourt took off one
day after the other. ”and concluded on Friday, November 1 in all the zones
across the country”.
Omolayo added that the participated art
teachers were expected to go back to their respective schools and
"transfer the knowledge garnered to their students and also arrange
competitions in their schools from which the best art works will be exhibited.”
He disclosed that selected works of students
from all the schools will be published in a coffee table brochure to be
displayed at the British Council offices in Nigeria and the UK.
Omolayo noted that art teachers who
participated in the workshop expressed satisfaction and asked for an
extension beyond one the week scheduled.
Earlier, British Council
had explained that the aims of the project was to use art in schools, to engage children in
arts education and help them use the acquired skills to reflect on Nigeria’s
centenary and the country’s relationship with the U.K. “It will also open up a
new sphere of discourse and debate for the participating young people
especially as Arts Education in young children has been proven to improve
achievement and confidence” Participated States included the FCT, Abuja, Rivers
State, Enugu, Kano, Lagos and Bauchi.
“The project will focus on: Developing artistic skills
in school children, helping these children develop their own line of enquiry
into the entity Nigeria focusing on the centenary and showcasing their artistic
skills.
“The British council, the organisation that is facilitating this project in partnership with the
FCO, has selected 100 schools from 6 States in the 6 geo political zones in
Nigeria for the project. Training will be delivered to 100 art teachers from
these schools on how to engage children in various visual art forms including
drawing, painting, textiles and sculpture”.
Assistant Director-British
Council Nigeria Mohammed Ahmed stated: ‘’The
project will give many Nigerian students the opportunity to participate in
public discourse about the past and future of Nigeria. Using creative arts
provides an innovative exciting medium to express their hopes for the
future".
No comments:
Post a Comment