Rebecca Ejifoma
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| Nzekwe teaching some students |
The workshop, on the theme
'Turning Waste into Wealth', aims to treat participants (pupils and students) with an intensive,
hands-on workshop on turning waste to wealth and recycling of disposable materials.
These artists including the Asaba-based
sculptor, Philips Nzekwe (Convener), alongside prolific female painter, Juliet Ezenwa
Maja-Pearce (lead facilitator) and Art teachers, hit the stages of paints on
canvases.
No doubt, with activities ranging from community photography,
mural/graffiti, waste recycling,
fashion to print art, the workshop pursues to champion the promotion of arts at
the grass-root level and basic levels of education; thereby, bolstering
the arts across the grade school
curriculum.
"A lot has gone wrong with urbanisation
without consideration for preservation due to lack of visual literacy. Our
primary aim is promote a healthy living and going –green,” according to Phillips
Nzekwe.
He also said he hoped that Psychological
effects of living -green together with creative engagements would result in youth
restiveness and peaceful coexistence.
Since the attitude and life of Art
globally is in the daily concerns of man's activities, these artists enthuse
that the workshop in Asaba remains the panacea to right all wrongs in its society, especially among these
youths.
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| Maja-Pearce teaching a student |
"The training will enable them become self-employed
individuals and entrepreneurs. The tray
of activities has been designed to engage the
community through close interactive participation of parents, children, community
leaders and the youths," he explained.
Interestingly,
the theme focuses on using easily
found materials to create objects of beauty. The organisers say they are
meticulous to align their activities with the present school curriculum. This way, it would be
easy for participants to relate art to other areas of human endeavours.
Meanwhile, the sole sponsor and former Director of Education in
the state, Mrs. H.I. Odume added that effective learning could only occur if all
domains of human knowledge (the cognitive,
affective and the psycho-moto) were fully harnessed.
According to her, the objectives of the workshop are in line with
the vision of Marble (where she is the proprietor). Therefore, "I made the school available for the workshop because I
believe that students should be thoroughly
furnished and equipped for nation building. But the challenges to this project have been lack of government support,"
she said.
The absence of a worthy art gallery in Asaba, Odume continued, has impeded the
aesthetic development of the students in the viccinity. For people who are
creatively and intellectually endowed, there are no platforms for self expression for them.
In bringing this programme to Asaba, we hope to provide this opportunity for youths
to express themselves creatively’ says Mr. Nzekwe.
Explaining further, Art teacher in Nkwani Local Government Area of
the state, Uchebike Ijibike lamented
that the public image of the visual artist in Delta is, to a large extent, shrouded in mystery.
From his words: “Misconception about the programme, coupled with
discouragement from parents and the general doubt of art-related events, have
been stumbling blocks to this project.”
Meanwhile, Nzekwe assured that the workshop would be wrapped up
with an exhibition at the Prestigious Nelrose
Hotel Asaba. The exhibition would be anchored by the Lagos based curator/photographer, Mr. Adetunji Akinyemi.
Three hundred students are expected to participate in this event.
According to the convener,
having observed the level of unemployment and youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta with the unavailability of relevant workshops aimed
at Youth empowerment, decided to use this platform as part of his Corporate
Social Responsibility.
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