UCA seeks collaborations to boost Nigeria’s creative industry

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By Joan Odafe
The University for the Creative Arts (UCA), United Kingdom, says it is seeking collaborations with individuals, organisations, and governments, to boost Nigeria’s creative industry.

The university’s Senior Regional Recruitment Manager, Seyi Agboola, said this during an interactive session with the media on Thursday in Lagos.

Agboola, who also manages the institution’s partnerships across Africa, Middle East and Latin America, said UCA is seeking opportunities to expand the knowledge of creatives in various fields including film, music and fashion.

He said the collaborations sought for was aimed at expanding the knowledge of the students beyond the scope of the experience and areas often overlooked in Nigeria.

Agboola said the institute had been collaborating with Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) since 2023 to train students in short courses and masterclasses.

“Everybody knows the Nigerian population, we are very good in the creative industry, however, I think the creative industry in Nigeria is more vocational.

“So, you would see most people in photography, fashion, they’ve probably just taken short trainings, and they’re already practicing just to make ends meet.

“We have the business school for the creative industry where we teach the business and the management side of the creative industry,” he said.

Noting that learning is a continuous process, Agboola said it was important that the students are exposed to the right environment and equipment to help reinforce learning.

He said the institute had just completed its programme at UCA AFRIFF Week with masterclasses in fashion photography, fashion film and emerging technologies in the fashion industry among others.

“It wasn’t just a theoretical class, it was a practical class where we had a model, a stylist, cameras and all the participants had some hands-on approach on what they learned the whole week,” he said.

He, however, said the students would require continuous practice in the right environment, with the right equipment.

Agboola urged the government to create creative hubs where creatives in various aspects including fashion, interior design, animation, architecture, photography, who are not able to buy equipment can go to practice.

He called on parents and guardians to look at career prospects within the creative industry so they could encourage their wards to harness the opportunities there.

The Programme Director, Fashion Image and Fashion Photography at UCA, Michelle Marshall, said the emerging trends and innovation in fashion could help convey imagery of authentic cultural narratives.

Marshall, who facilitated the masterclasses on fashion image, fashion photography and fashion film, said in spite of everyone having access to cameras and phones, there is more to the discipline than meets the eyes.

“You express yourself maybe through makeup but when it collides with photography, when it collides with fashion, it becomes something else,” she said.

She noted that, with added skills, there were already opportunities waiting for those fashion photographers who took pictures as well as moving image.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

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