Dean, School of PostGraduate Studies, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof Rasaki Ojo Bakare, speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the state of the creative industry and his expectations in the New Year, among others.
How are courses in cultural studies (literary, theatre and visual arts) fairing in the academia?
There are new creative works by scholars all over the country. More departments of literary and theatre arts and cultural studies are springing up. Almost every new university that is established runs those courses. Interestingly, courses in these departments are heavily subscribed.The enterprise of teaching and acquiring knowledge in these fields is growing but we are heavily incapacitated. The extent to which we succeed in research and other duties depends on availability of fund.
We are succeeding but this is relative given the circumstances in which we work.
I do more work in university than on the field but I am still very visible on the field. I just completed a production of Ojukelekun in collaboration with Dele Odule. In 2017, I handled three highly successful productions, which is a far cry from my record way back. But this is because I am heavily tied with administrative duties in the university.
How much of entrepreneurial training does your varsity offer its students?
That is the focus of my department in the university. Our curriculum is a little different from those of old varsities. The focus of our training in art in our departments is to teach our students how to do. The university has entrepreneurial tilt, so that reflects what we do in the departments. We emphasise skill and not load students with general information. Our curriculum emphasises specialisation for students as from third year.
As Dean of PostGraduate Studies, you are expected to do things differently, especially in resolving perennial delays that characterise many post graduate programmes in older universities. How are you handling all this?
I am lucky to have lots of experiences, having worked in older universities, such as University of Calabar, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Abuja, etc and I had the opportunity to study the structures of the post graduate studies of the varsities. I will build on the strength of those varsities, borrow from what they are doing and avoid where they have lapses.
We are going to stick to universal rules and standards. Also, we are going to be very fair to the candidates.
If a candidate is not a material for a master degree programme, we kick him out. If a candidate is good for the programme, he should finish within the stipulated time. There cannot be a third alternative. The same goes for the Phd programme. The School of PostGraduate Studies, Federal University, Oye, Ekiti will be different from others. We will not produce scholars that will be injurious to the intellectual health of the nation.
You have traversed the town and the gown as a theatre scholar. How much of the field works impacted on your career growth?
Without my extensive works on the field (dance, theatre and culture industry), I would not have been what I am today. My scholarship has been greatly influenced by my practice. There is no data or research that is current than what you get on the field while working. Between 1989 and now, I have worked in almost all states of the federation. I have run dance, theatre, training workshops and productions almost in every corner of this country. As far back as 80s, I was a consultant choreographer to Cross River State, co-director to late Basil Effiong. As a Youth Corp member, my community project was the establishment of the then Anambra State Performing Troupe in Enugu. I did that with the late Nelly Uchendu, a singer who supervised the project on behalf of the government. When the late Nelson Mandela of South Africa visited Enugu in 1992, the troupe performed, which was its first outing. The state retained the troupe and that is what the Enugu State inherited and built on. For five years, I was the consultant to the Rivers State Troupe and led them to national festivals. From Rivers to Ogun, I was the consultant to the performing troupe of Ogun State. Then to Nasarawa State, which was the watershed. All the productions that brought Nasarawa its winning laurels at national festivals were done during my era. I have done the same for Ondo State for about a decade. However, I did it for my state Ekiti briefly. I was in charge of the Imo State Troupe as a consultant, Akwa Ibom State and many more, including private troupes, such as International Centre for the Art, Lagos (ICAL) led by the late Ambassador Segun Olusola.
Outside of Nigeria, I was in charge of the Gambia national troupe from 1994 to 1996 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Technical Aids Corps. Also, I have worked with the National Theatre and Troupe of Jamaica under the cultural exchange programme. I have led Nigerian troupes to international festival, such as North Korea festival in 1997, where we won gold. In 1999, we went to Austria with ICAL with Salt, a 30minutes version of the production and we came first. We also took Ahmed Yerima’s Yemoja to Mexico and Nigeria also won gold. I have directed three inauguration performances of three presidents. In fact, I wrote and directed the Voyage for the Yar’Adua inauguration, which toured the world. The list is endless. With these, a high percentage of what I teach in class is derived from the field.
I am glad that younger generation of artists, such as Segun Adefila, Dayo Liad, and Kudus Onikeku are doing very good works.
What is your assessment of the creative industry in the last one year?
In terms of availability of talents, quality of works, I am happy with the industry because of the contributions of the named artists above. They are improving on the existing works. But the efforts of the new generation and we of old, is not complemented by government support. Therefore, what you still see in the industry is poverty and lull, as if nothing is happening.
In terms of government having a holistic idea of how to move the industry forward is nil. Individual expressions in art does not build an industry and especially in this present administration. This is sad for me because I am a supporter of this administration. In fact, it has virtually killed the art and culture as nothing is happening. Take for example the Abuja Carnival I handled for five years. Since I handed over in 2013, we don’t know what has become of Abuja Carnival. NAFEST is no longer the festival we used to know. I had thought that in the spirit of change, it would put the affairs of culture in front burner by activating the Endowment Fund for the Arts and ratifying the Cultural Policy.
This government should take a risk and invest in the creative sector and see if it would not yield return on investment. In fact, the government must intervene in the sector via funding, employing competent people in right places, stimulating investments, among others.
However, many heads of agencies in the industry cannot identify the products in the industry, not to talk of how to produce, package and market such products. It is as bad as that. Because of ignorance, they don’t know how to sell their organisations to government and let government have confidence in them.
