BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
BAMIDELE
Adegboyega’s Alternative Arts Friendly Initiative Network (AAFIN) has a role to
play in the fight against corruption. Using the medium of art, he hopes to
teach young ones positive values.
Adegboyega says the idea aims at
eradicating corruption in the society.
What has art got to do with
corruption?
“Quite a fundamental role,” he anwers.
This much, he has expressed through shows such as My Nigeria, With or Without
Corruption and Corruption: Its Breath, Its death.
Organised in collaboration
with Alliance Francaise, Ibadan, Oyo State, the show, he explains, interprets
the character, nature of occurance and the evils of its spread.
One of the works from the workshop |
He warns: “In today’s world,
corruption poses a problem to national development. It has eaten deep into the
psyche of our educational system and undermines the original purpose of
teaching-learning process in schools.”
Adegboyega notes, “it’s important
for the society to assess the value and achievement, and as well, encourage
children to take part in ‘national baking’ rather than in ‘national sharing’ of
cake.”
The crusade of retracing
the loss of value is imbedded in the idea of art as a drive towards equity. In
March last year, the artist / teacher also organised a workshop with the theme,
Corruption: Its breath, its death.
And if you are wondering how young ones understand
what corruption is, and how they express such in art, Adegboyega says, “works
on display were developed on observations, information gathered and imaginative
manipulation, guided by practical thinking.”
He says the unrestricted use of
colours, forms and styles indicate the nature and character of children’s
creativity.
“The energy of rendition, if critically
analysed, depicts innocence with considerable subtlety and confidence of
expression. Expectedly, the use of colours is very objective and natural,” the
artist breathes.
STRESSING
young artists’ understanding of the focus of the project, Adegboyega notes this
will help to encourage them to live a life of honour, dignity and integrity.
“The varying titles and subject matters enable them to reflect on our social
web and connect largely, bringing a total change to the society for a
collective development,” he says.
If the young ones must be
protected from corruption as the normal everyday life, the need to expose them
to anti-corruption crusade should be given attention. Thus, apart from
workshops and shows, anti-corruption orientation programmes can be integrated
in school curriculum such as social studies, history, religion, life skills,
economics and ethics, he argues.
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BAMIDELE Adegboyega |
He notes, “adults often lay claim
to commitment in reviving lost values and give their best to Nigeria, but their
attitude is a far cry from reality. Unfortunately, corruption is the major
hindrance to achieving the second millennium development goal of Comprehensive
School Education for all children by 2015.”
ADEGBOYEGA
is a painter and former secretary of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA). He is
also the author of a book titled, Understanding Your Teacher, The Corporate
Teacher.
Educated at The Polytechnic, Ibadan;
Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State; and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye,
Adegboyega has been promoting art as an alternative drive towards change since
1988. His last show, My Nigeria, With or Without Corruption is the 4th edition
of what he tagged “annual HeART4LIFE project.”
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