Sunday 1 December 2013

'Young Art @100' joins British Council, Omolayo Gallery in Centenary art workshop,



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".

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