On Stage: Sir, how did this idea of diploma programme in film, theatre and communication studies at Crescent University, Abeokuta came
about?
Dr. Adesina: I had a very rich cultural background growing up in the village before going to England. When I was returning from England into Nigeria to start the mass communication department at Crescent University from the scratch, the Proprietor knew that I started journalism here in Nigeria, at the first rural newspaper in Nigeria called the ‘the Village News. I was the first Editor, some of the people who worked with me them are Sina Aina, Sulaiman Osho, Bidemi Osunbiyi, Goke Rauf, at one point or the other, I left Onikolobo Mass Communication, I went to Unilag, I didn’t do HND, I went to Unilag to further my studies. So that was my foundation.
By the time I finished at Unilag, that was when MKO Abiola started the community concord newspaper for each state of Nigeria, so Ogun Community concord was one of the ones that he started first. But before that we have been doing village news, then Abiola came with ogun community concord, willingly the publication was started by the man who is now Oba Towulade of Akinale, then he didn’t have money. So, I was left to look for money somewhere else. When they wanted to create the board for Ogun Community Concord, it was the Unilag lecturers that they brought, Prof Idowu Sobowale, late Dele Ogunade, Prof Adidi Uyo and many others. So, they were on the board interviewing people for the job, before they did the interview, they have written to me that in should come for the interview, so when I got there, they just
introduce me to the board that this is the best student last year. I should just take a bow and leave, so they employed me.
So, that was the background before I went to England also as a journalism practitioner, but what is related to this discussion is that when I got there, I detected that Britain took journalism as an apprentice vocation, they don’t believe you must go to the university to learn Journalism originally, it’s something that you have to go and learn like a carpenter, painters and others. So, people who are journalists, once you finish your o level, they would put you in the news room as a 16- or 17-year-old boy or girl they called you page boy. The first thing you will be doing is to be helping editor to be taking the story for pages, it’s called testing time for that BSc film and multimedia study, and not just that, people that have consulted me about Yoruba movie, music, cultural, projections of meanings in the Yoruba musicals.
It was during this my interest in the Yoruba culture that I met with TK, with Segun Odegbami, that was many years ago, that is another part of my life. So, that was led to TK contacting me for the practical and formal training for movie practitioners., what you are seeing now is a testing ground for the BSc and MSc programme coming ahead in film and performance and multi media studies.
Key elements of the diploma program they are currently running are communication and culture in Yoruba, also we are exposing them to the Yoruba heritage and opportunities associated to it. We have public communication skills, basic of English, introduction to theater and motion pictures management, introduction to dramatic literature, communication theories and practice as it relates to film, communication and culture in Yoruba and Nigeria today. If you are acting or performing art you must know about all the listed area of focuses in Nigeria geography, scripting and subtitling, producing and directing, and we make sure they are exposed to how to write screen writing, issues in communication law and ethics, casting and many others.
On Stage: Do you think we can still witness the experience of the era of quality stage production like we witnessed during the life time of Hubert Ogunde, Duro Ladipo and the likes?
Yes, we can, all those things we have them are still intact but in different form, we can still make maintain such but in a new form.
Dr Adesina: we are trying to bring them back to the appreciation of Yoruba literary work, art, poem, music, culture and the likes.
The essence of the program is to make sure that the movie practitioners have verse knowledge about the Yoruba cultural norms, values and musical. Bringing out the heritage of the Yoruba in a better face compare to what is in practice now a days.
If you are acting or performing art you must know about all the listed area of focuses in Nigeria geography, scripting and subtitling, producing and directing, and we make sure they are exposed to how to write screen writing, issues in communication law and ethics, casting and many others.
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