Jurnal Sosialisasi Reinventing the Theatre Curriculum to Address

Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021

Reinventing the Theatre Curriculum to Address Contemporary Development Needs and Job Alignment in Nigeria

Esekong H. Andrew-Essien Department of Theatre and Media Studies University of Calabar, Nigeria [email protected]

ABSTRACT As the social and economic terrain is changing in Nigeria, theatre training and practice have not evolved commensurately to address the current development needs and job alignment. The models used in many Nigerian universities mainly offer theoretical knowledge of theatre and basic training for entertainment roles. Even though the philosophy and objectives of theatre training in the NUC Benchmark for minimum academic standards are couched with the anticipation for innovation and programme expansion, it does not specify the type or scope of expansion needed to retain the viability of theatre practice within the current knowledge economy. Nigerian universities are therefore not firmly guided to develop their theatre curricula in a direction that is sensitive to the exigencies of time and age. There is currently a lot of interest in film production, carnival, standup comedy, development communication, applied theatre and event management. This paper argues that theatre and performing art programmes in universities and other theatre training centres should develop more courses around these emerging areas of interest. The paper submits that while there are many specialties in which theatre graduates can be professionally engaged, and while the nature of theatre training imbues numerous subjective qualities desired in the contemporary world of work, much more could be done by reinventing the theatre curriculum to give theatre graduates wider opportunities.

Keywords: Reinventing; Theatre Curriculum; Development Needs; Job Alignment.

INTRODUCTION: THE NEED TO REFOCUS FOR SURVIVAL For many years, theatre training in Nigeria has been designed to address basic entertainment needs and very limited utilitarian needs. This was perhaps to appease the interest of the audiences at the time when theatre was valued more as an entertainment form (Betiang 2020). This was also a time when theater artists were engaged mainly to dance and entertain functionaries in social and state functions. Occasionally, plays were performed for intellectual audiences mostly in educational theatres and government sponsored command performances. Drama series were also packaged to mirror the Nigerian society on television and to convey messages for social and political reformation, but it would appear that the programmes were valued more for their entertainment contents. The Nigerian environment has now become more complex and advanced (Mbum et al., 2014). As the people are confronted with fresh socio-political and economic realities, their needs, focus and interestsappear to have changed. Specifically, the global economic recession recently complexified by COVID19 has forced people to reorder their social and economic priorities. In much the same way, security uncertainties have made the people to limit social engagements, including theatre patronage, tourism and relaxation (Umukoro 2020; Odey & Agi 2015; Andrew-Essien 2018). The wave of change of focus, style, preferences and priorities in society is understandable because cultures and even civilizations are characterized by dynamism (Andrew 2002). It now becomes imperative for the theatre practitioner to re-strategize for survival in the new world order.To be able to work out a fresh strategy for survival, it is necessary to do a brief review of the evolution of theatre practice and current trajectories of theatre growthand interest in Nigeria. Esekong H. Andrew-Essien | 104

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THE EVOLUTION OF THEATRE PRACTICE AND TRAINING IN NIGERIA: A BRIEF REVIEW Much of what is known about African drama is through oral tradition and traditional performances (Etherton 2012). In Nigeria, theatre may have started through traditionalperformances, rites and rituals, just as it is speculated in other places (Brockett 1992). Many indigenous performances were associated with occupational festivals such as farming and fishing festivals. Other performances were tied to fertility rites, births, marriages, coronation of royalties, burial rites and traditional sport ceremonies. Such ceremonies featured songs, drumming and dance performances often held outdoors in village squares, public squares, private compounds, markets squares, shines, grooves, riversides, and streets. Performances were often done by part-time volunteers from localities, and selection of troupe members were based on the competencies of volunteers. There were no paid performers except, maybe those engaged in the royal courts. Few craft men made money from production of musical instruments and costumes. While some festivals wereheld to fulfill traditional rituals, some others were meant for entertainment. Later in colonial Nigeria, theatre became a tool for cultural nationalism. Practitioners like Duro Ladipo, Moses Olaiye, Kola Ogunmola and Hubert Ogundeusing Nigerian folk performances heightened this consciousnessbetween 1944 and 1950 (Etherton 2012). Ogunde’s troupe may have been exposed to the lucre of performance as they travelled to various locations for paid or sponsored performances.This exposure flipped another page in theatre consciousness; the reality that theatre could be lucrative set in. From the academic perspective, Wole Soyinka, J.P. Clark, Kalu Uka, Ola Rotimi, Femi Osofisan, Zulu Sofola, Bode Sowande and other dramatists extended the drama and theatre consciousness through their literary works and many more people subscribed to theatre training and practice.Drama was one of the Classicsin the University College, Ibadan, the premiere University in Nigeria. Dramatic arts alongside English became a symbol of literacy. With the rising profile of theatre and dramatic studies, the first purpose-built theatre house was erectedin the University of Ibadan, 1955. Theatre graduates became influential performers, teachers, administrators and politicians. The popularity of theatre extended with the proliferation of schools and the emergence of more performance venues in Nigeria. Enendu, quoting Adedeji identifies some of these venues as; The Glover Hall cited at the old CustomWarehouse on Marina built in memory of Sir John Hawley Glover, a former administrator of Lagos. Others were the Ilupesi Hall built in 1911, Tom Jones Hall and the Lishabi Hall in Ebute Metta. In other parts of the country, there were the African Club House,in Calabar, built in 1903, the Achukwu Hall at Upper New Market Road, Onitsha, the Aba and Port Harcourt Municipal Halls, and later school and town halls in most big towns…(2002, p. 353). Enendu (2002) concludes that these buildings served as resource centres for theatrical activities in Nigeria back in the day. The halls were used as meeting venues, social reception centres and disco halls at various times, but they also served as make-shift theatre performance venues, thus popularizing theatre practice.In the season of elevated social and political consciousness, theatre later became a tool in the struggle for political independence in Nigeria. In post-colonial Nigeria, formal training in theatre became widespread; more universities offered theatre studies, dramatic and performing arts (Amkpa 2004). More purpose-built theatres cropped up, including the National Theatre built in Lagos, 1977 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977.

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Two proscenium theatres were built in the University of Lagos to facilitate rehearsals for FESTAC ’77 (Crow & Banfield 1996). The Oduduwa Hall was built in University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University; the New Arts Theatre (now Chinua Achebe Arts Theatre) was built in the University of Calabar in 1976. Other purpose-built educational theatres were the Ahmadu Bello University Theatre at Zaria, the Open-Air Theatre in the University of Jos, Crab Theatre at the University of Port Harcourt, Pinnacle Theatre at Akwa Ibom State University and a number of other educational theatres and performance studios. Other performance venues have been built and maintained by many state governments such as the theatres at Oyo, Cross River, Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Bauchi, Bayelsa and others in Nigeria (Enendu 2002). The private sector has also joined in developing the performing art industry by erecting private theatres and cinema halls, the foremost of which is the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos. Some state governments have also built cinema houses. For example, Ibom Tropicana in Uyo was built by the Akwa Ibom State government and Marina Resort Cinema in Calabar was built by the Cross River State government. The point in delving into this historical analysis is to illustrate the progression of theatre consciousness and the heightened subscription of students studying drama,theatre and performance in Nigerian universities. To support this ascending interest and to ensure that the training offered in the numerous theatre programmes in Nigerian institutions is relevant to the needs of the performing art industry, a robust curriculum must be built. Currently, there are at least 50 universities and colleges of education offering theatre studies in Nigeria. The nomenclatures of the departments my vary – Theatre and Media Studies, Performing Arts, Theatre and Film Studies, Creative Arts and Dramatic Studies – but they all operate the theatre curriculum. It must be underlined that themanpower produced from these institutions must be relevant to the current needs of the industry not only in Nigeria, but also globally.

NEW TRAJECTORIES OF THEATRE AND MEDIA INTEREST AND GROWTH IN NIGERIA Along with shifting socio-economic interests, theatre also seems to be shifting in form and emphasis. There appears to be a migration from the stage to the screen. The focus now seems to be more on the screen where there are diverse audiences and where the performative arts could easily be engineered to meet many more practical needs of society. The number of movies created in Nollywood, the Nigeria movie industry annually, compared with stage productions should provide sufficient evidence of the dominance of the screen . Moudio approximates that the industry produces about 50 movies per week (www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine). This and other statistical indexes of Nollywood’s growth are shown in the table below:

NOLLYWOOD BY THE NUMBERS Estimated annual revenue of the Nigerian film industry $590mn Amount of a loan fund pledged by President Goodluck Johnathan to help $200mn finance the Nigerian film industry

First loan given for the production of “Dr Bello” the first Nollywood film $250,000 to debut in American movie theatres

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021 The weekly average number of films produced in Nigeria 50 Average cost of Nollywood films $25,000- $70,000 Average cost of most top Hollywood films $250mn Sources: Africa Movies News, BBC, New York Times (www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine)

With such statistics, Nollywood needs support structures, mainly human resourcesand equipment for sustainable growth (Ayeni & Odey 2016). With regards to human resources, the industry currently draws largely from the various theatre/performing art schools in the country. Frequently there are comments about how graduates from the academia cannot meet the practical manpower needs of the film industry and how stage performers are a misfit for the screen. This informs, in part, why producers recycle stars who have been tested and trusted. The challenge to the academia is obvious – to provide useable manpower for the growing film industry. Apart from the interest in film, there also appears to be a growing interest in carnivals and festivals which are forms of “processional display of performing and visual art forms, intended to convey meaning and relay a message to an audience” (Andrew 2018, p. 62). Between 1995 and now there seems to be a proliferation of annual carnivals in Nigeria, the major ones being Carnival Calabar, Abuja Carnival, Eko Carnival in Lagos and Carniriv in Port Harcourt (now suspended). Apart from the big carnivals, there are many other emerging smaller carnivals in cities and communities (Omitola 2017). Many festivals are also held in various communities to commemorate harvesting and planting seasons, regal coronations, fertility rights and fishing seasons typified by regattas and shoreline entertainment activities. All these have become major tourism products that draw“art-core” and “culture-core” tourists to use Hughes’s classifications, referring to visitors dedicated to art and cultural events (2020, p.3). These products offer multi-layered benefits to the economy. Many of the events have been featured in the global tourism calendar. The resurging interest in them is understandable. With the failing oil economy, the government is promoting diversification into other sectors, including the tourism sub- sector where there is so much potential based on the country’s rich cultural resources. The patronage to carnivals and festivals is sufficient to provide alternative income to the nation if well managed. The challenge here for the academia is how to reorganize training in the performing arts to address two specific needs of the carnival and festival industry. The first is to address the broad concerns of tourism management, which would include building structures and developing capacities to meet the needs of all categories of tourists. Security, transportation, road networking, the hospitality and catering sectors and souvenir production need be reorganized and infused with quality and class. The second set of concerns is technical and artistic (Oben et al., 2011; Oben & Ajimase 2011). This would include stepping up the standards of products to be show-cased – floats, costumes and make-up, props, choreography, robotics and pyrotechnics, etc. If both sets of concerns are captured in the curriculum and studied properly, the carnivals and festivals would have quality infrastructure and manpower to reposition them as viable tourism products similar to what is happening in South America and the Caribbean where carnivals and festivals are major foreign exchange earners. Still in the complex evolution of theatre interest, event management and stand-up comedy are gaining popularity. Where theatre artists are involved in events management,

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021 the organization and contents should stand out distinctively because theatre is inherently an event (Oben & Eyang 2015). Theatre artists are noted for stand-up comedy and they are often hired as Masters of Ceremonies. The challenge here for the academia is to formalize training of personnel for event management and stand-up comedy. Currently, there are no courses on the ethics of event management, audience analysis, setting for events and stand- up comedy. Something should be done about this. Beyond the above-stated interest areas, the performing arts is now used intensively for marketing campaigns and as intervention tools in Development Communication, especially in Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC). Theatre for Development (TfD) has become a strong intervention tool used in aspects of Development Communication particularly in the health sector. It is also used for enlightenment campaigns to create awareness in agricultural extension services and to create political consciousness. Again, there are no clear courses on the application of performing arts in Development Communication. The interest in drama therapy is increasing not only in Nigeria, but globally. Drama therapists use drama to help people explore and understand their feelings, behaviour and conditions, and seek ways to improve their conditions. They work with patients in health facilities – hospitals and clinics, helping them to recover to normalcy. In Nigeria, drama therapy is used in schools, especially in teaching differently abled children. The therapy is also used in prisons and remand homes to rehabilitate social misfits. Fashion and costume designare is also gaining prominence. The fashion consciousness in Nigeria is such that only designers with innovation thrive in the industry. Apart from the craze of individuals for unique creative designs, Nigerians also like uniforms or Aso Ebi at their functions. Fashion and costume designers could be engaged all year round on ceremonial uniforms and specially designed attires. Nigerian fabrics and apparels are some of the unique exports from Nigeria. The theatre costume designer, being used to complex costume productions naturally does well in the creative fashion design trade, but the curriculum of training has to be deliberately reworked to offer standard fashion training to students offering costume design.

NEED FOR PROPER JOB ALIGNMENT IN THE ART SECTOR From the analysis of the current socio-economic realities in Nigeria and the analysis of the new areas of focus in the performing arts, it is clear that there is a problem – the training curriculum in many Nigerian universities is not sensitive to the emerging needs. The consequence is that many Nigerian universities graduate students in theatre studies and performing arts who are not sufficiently equipped for the job market. Under this situation, more people roam the streets unemployed, yet there are manpower gaps to be filled in the art sector. There is need to realign the theatre training curriculum with the emerging artistic interest and general growth trends in the Nigerian society.

PHILOSOPHICAL THRUST, OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING AND COURSE OFFERINGS IN SELECT THEATRE PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES The philosophical thrust of theatre studies/training in the NUC Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards for Post-Graduate Programmes in Arts in Nigerian Universities Benchmark underlines the value of the integrative experience in theatre production. Theatre is depicted as a rehearsal forum where the participants are privileged to have a simulated experience in countless human situations often captured in play scripts;

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021 kind of a jump-start into real life situation. The NUC Benchmark, though meant for postgraduate studies also contains well-articulated objectives of theatre training and scholarship that are applicable at all levels of learning. The following objectives are listed in the document: a. To serve the needs of students who elect theatre, media and performance studies as a profession. b. To provide adequate training in research and institutional technology for those whose future lie in creative teaching and research at the university level. c. To train graduates for relevant courses in the managerial cadres, in direction for the media, script development and the administration of art organizations, theatre houses and tourism projects. d. To educate good scholars, critics and designers for the entertainment industry. e. To equip theatre scholars with in-depth knowledge of the latest theatrical developments and production procedures which will enable them meet the conflicting cultural demands of a changing globalized world. f. To equip graduates with adequate artistic skills of self-expression and effective communication at the local, national and international world of work. The articulation of the objectives of theatre training at the postgraduate level in the NUC Benchmark suggests that new trajectories of development in performance arts, media and the entertainment industry are anticipated. The document suggests that curricula should be made flexible to accommodate evolving and conflicting cultural values and other nuances in the global work environment. Unfortunately, the Benchmark does not specify the areas of expansion in theatre training and development, and this has given the universities the liberty to chart disparate courses according to their resources and following existing traditions. Some universities end up laying emphasis on courses that may not be relevant to the current global socio-cultural and economic environment. During this research investigation, a few theatre curricula of Nigerian universities were chosen purposively. Very few were discovered to be innovative and up to date in terms of inclusion of courses in the areas of emerging interest. For instance, the curriculum of Theatre and Media Studies in the University of Calabar begins with brilliant objectives: a) To guarantee a continued advancement in African Theatre, Film and Carnival development and scholarship through practice, innovative field work and research. b) To produce high-level personnel for the public and private sectors particularly in managerial cadres of theatre, film and carnival administration, teaching, content production and broadcasting. c) To guarantee a supply of expert researchers and curators for Art Councils, Museums, Archives as well as in Public Relations, Advertising and Book Publishing establishments, among others. d) To create skilled manpower in the areas of Applied Theatre, Theatre and Studio Technologies, and Creative Artists for Theatre, Film and Carnival for sustainable development. e) To ensure a cadre of self-employable Nigerian corps of writers, critics, designers, journal and book publishers, entertainers and actors. The course contents in the Calabar curriculum cover some emerging areas of need/interest. The Department of Theatre and Media Studies is so far the only Department offering carnival arts as a specialty in Nigeria. The Department also offers courses in film studies, stand-up comedy, Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC),

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Development Communication and other aspects of Applied Theatre. However, the Calabar curriculum still needs to break down these premium specialties to specific course units. For instance, in carnival arts, courses are required in costume making for carnival, float building, robotics and animation, which are known to be the most sensational features enlivening the carnival ensemble (Andrew, Agibe and Eneh 2014). The Calabar curriculum also needs more practical courses in film production and stand-up comedy. In theatre management, more courses are needed in theatre product branding, theatre marketing in the digital age and event management ethics. The Theatre Arts Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka also studies carnival, but only as a secondary component of a course: Costume and Appearance Design: From Festive Spectacle to Carnival at the 200 level. No other aspect of carnival production is taught. All the other courses in the Awka curriculum are conventional theatre courses. Commendably, a course is offered in Applied Theatre and Community Education at the 400 level. This course is an exploration of theatre as “a social force and pedagogic tool”(www.arts.unizik.edu.ng).On the flip side, another very viable course in Applied Theatre – Theatre for Special People is made optional and banked in the reserve pool. It is expected that students should be encouraged to offer more courses in Applied Theatre, being an area of current interest. Theatre studies in the University of Maiduguri is deliberately expanded to cover music as a prominent performing art form. Music is a stress area in the Maiduguri curriculum, and from the undergraduate stage many courses are infused to enhance the proficiency of students. Apart from this innovation, other courses are the usual theatre courses – drama, dance, theatre design and technology, film and video production. At Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the theatre curriculum is rich in Applied Theatre, specifically in Community Theatre, Theatre for Development and Development Communication. Students are exposed to Community Theatre practice at the 200 level through a course titled Samaru Project. The University is hosted by the Samaru community in Zaria. During the course, the students interact with the Samaru community and develop a drama script based on the development issues found in the community. At the 300 level the students offer another course in Community Theatre that requires them to stay and work within any chosen community for many days. At the 400 level and the post-graduate level, the curriculum introduces Theatre for Development as a course. Generally, the Zaria curriculumappears to be more attentive to the needs of Applied Theatre. The main innovation in the curriculum of the Department of Performing Arts, Akwa Ibom State Universityis the inclusion of Performing Arts and Global Entrepreneurship as a general departmental course with three credit hour load for students at the 400 level.This course is designed to bridge the gap between performing arts skills and entrepreneurial success across socio-economic spaces. Besides this innovation, other courses are the usual courses in theatre studies. One would have expected this Department whose focus is on Performing Arts to offer more courses and even create more academic specialties such as Music, Stand-up Comedy, Modelling and Events Management, but no course is offered in these specialties. The theatre curricula in many other universities in Nigeria, like the NUC Benchmark contain well-articulated, flowery philosophies and objectives.For instance, the theatre curriculum in Lagos State University appreciates the current trends in entertainment, film and industries and emphasizes the need to combine theoretical and practical training to enable the beneficiariesfunction in a variety of positions within the industry (www.lasu.edu.ng). The philosophical focus of theatre training at the Department

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021 of Theatre and Media Arts, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpomaas expressed in their brochure is to provide “…the enabling platform for the building of manpower in the theatre, radio and television as well as in the film industry” (p. 131). At the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, one of the primary objectives is “to train students towards academic scholarship and professional versatility in the various areas of theatre and media arts” (p. 7). The programme philosophy in the Department of Theatre Arts, Benue State University recognizes the fact that theatre is a highly creative and hybrid art form. The programme is therefore designed to breed students who would transform the acquired skills to individual and community development (www.bsum.edu.ng). Unfortunately, many of the above cited curricula are not sufficiently extensive in terms of programme contents to address the current demands of the world of work. It must be restated that the curricula of many Nigerian universities at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels seem to focus more on basic theatre concepts and theatre aesthetics. These contents, at best help to breed art administrators and general entertainment artists. With all the earlier identified extensions of theatre, new courses, techniques and approaches are required in training. It is necessary to revisit and possibly modify the existing curricula to address the needs of the expanding industry. The development of Nollywood must be sustained by training personnel who would strengthen the weak areas. Similarly, carnivals, stand-up comedy, SBCC and other premium specialties must also be well packaged, and all must begin with infusing vital courses in the curriculum to guide training and ensure profitable practice. It is imperative, based on the needs of the socio- economic clime to prepare students for the realities in the world of work. Undoubtedly, the Theatre Studies curriculum must be reinvented to address development needs of the people and to improve the economy in Nigeria.

A CALL FOR A NEW CURRICULUM: ACTION PLAN Action must be taken along the following lines to enhance the curriculum for theatre training in Nigerian universities and other training centres: 1. More courses should be introduced in film production. Specifically, students should learn screenwriting since every film begins with a story which must be made into a film script. Courses in cinematography will expose the students to the practical arts of film-making – camera handling, lighting techniques for the screen and sound engineering. Courses in Digital Editing will introduce the students to the software, techniques and aesthetics of film editing. With the rate of expansion of Nollywood and the proliferation of its films, it is necessary to develop competent manpower for the film industry in Nigeria. 2. Courses should be introduced in carnival arts production. Carnival has come to stay in Nigeria, and it is essential to develop the sector by training personnel for the various arts or specialties involved in carnival production. The current practice is that arts and craftsmen such as tailours, sculptors, and painters are engaged to execute carnival jobs that are approximated to their specialties. Purpose-trained experts are needed in many areas of carnival production – script production, script interpretation, information visualization, costume production, props production, ambulatory dance and choreography, audience control, street catering and carnival marketing (Andrew 2010; Umukoro et al., 2020). 3. Courses should be introduced in stand-up comedy: The practice of stand-up comedy is very viable in Nigeria today. Comedians gross millions of Naira from

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4. different events on weekly basis. This informs why many now dabble into stand- up comedy. It has become necessary to train practitioners deliberately for this sector of arts. Specifically, courses should be introduced in material sourcing, audience calibration, historical trends in Nigerian comedy, legal and ethical perspectives in comedy, and artistic typification in stand-up comedy 5. More courses are required in Applied Theatre, especially in Development Communication. Nigeria, being a developing society needs expert development communicators. Theatre trains personnel for performative message development and delivery especially through the media. Many NGOs are interested in many areas of development, for instance in the health sector where much work is done in HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and COVID 19 sensitization and control; sanitization campaigns and other health concerns. Other NGOs are interested in managing social, political and economic issues such as gender-based violence, political sensitization and agricultural extension services. Theatre is a highly potent medium for sensitization and advocacy, and experts need to be trained to use the performative tool for development communication. 6. More courses are required in educational theatre: Theatre has become indispensable as a tool for educational instruction at all levels of education. Many experiments have shown that play learning helps the learners to understand the subject matter better. Trained theatre educators are needed to work in schools to facilitate the learning process in various subjects. Experts need to be trained to operate multimedia play-learning equipment and to interface with learners at all levels. 7. More event planning courses are needed. There is enormous need for event managers in Nigeria. This is because Nigerians love to organize and attend events. Event planning falls in the purview of theatre management. Courses should be developed in the areas of logistics, crowd management, entertainment contents, time management, food catering and emergency service management. 8. Detailed practical courses should be developed for lighting and sound equipment handling and design software management. This is meant to serve lighting and sound technicians who can hardly function even after graduation. Currently, it is common to find electricians and DJs doing the jobs of lighting and sound technicians. Lighting and sound management is a combination of technology and art, and formally trained experts are needed for these specialties (Andrew 2006).

POSSIBILITIES FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT FOR THE THEATRE GRADUATE With a good curriculum, fresh theatre graduates who have undergone rigorous training should be able to engage themselves in private practice and possibly engage others immediately after school. There are many job opportunities for the well-trained theatre graduate. They can become independent playwrights, screen writers or song writers producing scripts for stage and screen productions. Graduates can become self-engaged theatre and film creative directors; they can also become producers, working on the business side of production. Traditionally, theatre graduates are known to be actors, dancers and choreographers; they can also start dance and fitness consultancies. Graduates in the technical aspects of theatre can become professional set designers, lighting, sound, props and costume designers functioning within and outside the theatre. Specialists in Theatre Management can become theatre and media marketing managers, promoters and event planners. Specialists in Media Studies can become broadcasters, narrators and

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021 journalists. Many theatre graduates have become successful musicians, comedians and OAPs. A lot of theatre graduates find a career in lecturing in tertiary institutions or teaching at the secondary, primary and pre-primary school levels. In addition to all the listed job possibilities, theatre graduates, especially filmmakers, carnival artists and other categories of experts can restructure their job schedules such that they become engaged all year round instead of being seasonally engaged (Oben & Egege 2018). For instance, the filmmaker could produce adverts, jingles, skits, documentaries and other media products off season, while the carnival costume maker could engage in fashion design after the carnival season. Same goes for other sub- specialties. Interestingly, many theatre graduates end up as successful bankers, product marketers, entrepreneurs and managers of non-artistic endeavours. This is possible because so many skills are acquired in the process of theatre training, which enable the theatre graduate to be eligible to operate in many other sectors of the economy and productivity outside core theatre practice. Some of the skill sets and qualities are highlighted and expatiated below: a. Teamwork and collaboration: By nature, theatre is collaborative arts and participants in any theatre production process must work in synergy. This quality is desired in every workplace where the personnel must collaborate to realise established work goals. The theatre practitioner appears to be placed ahead of others when it comes to teamwork. b. Time management: Time consciousness is acquired in the process of theatre training. Call time is sacred in production planning. Moreover, time alertness is also learnt in the timing of cues in various aspects of theatre production. c. Organizational skills: Theatre involves a lot of resources – human, technical, financial, temporal, spatial and many more. Organizational skill is needed to harmonize the resources into a single artistic experience. This is how theatre graduates learn organizational skills. d. Communication skills: Theatre is communication arts (Andrew 2002). Semantic, semiotic, syntactical, verbal and non-verbal cues are considered in the articulation of lines so as to communicate to audiences with no ambiguities. These skills are required in corporate communication, yet they are hardly taught in other specialties. e. Creativity and innovation: Theatre is a conglomeration of creative arts. Creativity is a priceless requirement in the modern-day workplace. Innovation drives survival in all competitive business. Theatre artists are sufficiently creative to dare to try alternative approaches. f. Analytical skills: The theatre artist develops analytical skills in the process of script analysis and role interpretation. The acquired skill is transferable to any workplace problematic. g. Public speaking: Theatre thrives on oration. Speech art is a vital course in theatre studies. This training makes theatre artists good public speakers. h. Technical Ability: This is learnt in theatre design and technology where training is offered in the techniques of lighting, sound management, set building, costume production and other stage crafts (Nzuanke & Chinaka 2018). These skills are transferable. i. In addition to the above-listed skills, a trained theatre artist has confidence, stamina, tenacity and physical fitness acquired in the process of rehearsals and

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Jurnal Sosialisasi Jurnal Hasil Pemikiran, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan Keilmuan Sosiologi Pendidikan Vol. 8, Nomor 2, Juli 2021

participation in theatre productions. The theatre artist is also able to memorize and to ad-lib or innovate. By submitting to hierarchical leadership, the trained theatre artists is able to adjust to constructive critical perspectives.

CONCLUSION: THE WAY FORWARD To realign the theatre training curriculum with the reality in the world of work, it is necessary to review the training model from the current theory-intensive format to practice-intensive format. There should be provisions for practical experiential teaching and learning. Apart from theoretical teaching in all the specialties, the curriculum should stipulate intensive internship as part of the training. Industrial attachment should be part of the composite. As much as possible, the students should be exposed to the real work environment. The experience acquired during internship gives the student added advantage at the time of graduation. With the advantage of internship, many companies hiring theatre graduates will not have to retrain them. Such graduates at least will be conversant with the technicalities of operation, the production materials and equipment, and in some cases, the politics of existence in the industry. The Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos where Theatre Arts is domiciled is one of the few theatre departments that send students on Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) training for two to three months. The training amounts to two credit units (Isijola 2018). As an alternative to industrial attachment, some semesters could be dedicated totally to workshops which should be anchored by renowned artistes in residence. The Department of Theatre and Media Studies, University of Calabar runs an integrated model where a Teaching Support Unit (TSU), University of Calabar Performing Company (UCPC) is established with the primary mandate of training the students in the practical aspects of theatre. The current challenge of the University of Calabar is the inability to equip the TSU to discharge knowledge in conformity with new trends. It may be necessary to study the training models and curricula of universities in developed countries. The essence would be to understand the global trend and to develop courses that would enable beneficiaries to adapt to the needs of any cultural, political and geographical location they may find themselves. Courses with global appeal should also be introduced in the reinvented curriculum to attract the interest and subscription of foreign scholars. Finally, theatre graduates should also be trained on how to convert artistic skills, not only to fame, but also to financial value and ultimate career satisfaction.

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