Nigerian Eatre Journal
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Nigerian ? eatre Journal A Journal of the Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists (SONTA) Vol. 13, No. 1 Editor Ameh Dennis Akoh Assistant Editor Biodun Layiwola Copyright © 2013 Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists (SONTA) Nigerian ? eatre Journal (NTJ ) is published by the Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists, c/o ? e Editor,NTJ , Department of ? eatre and Film Studies, Osun State University,Ikire Campus, Nigeria ISSN 0189-9562 EDITORIALBOARDMEMBERS Professor S. E. Ododo Chairman Dr A. D. Akoh Editor Dr Biodun Layiwola Assistant Editor Professor Charles Nwadigwe Member Dr Ted Anyebe Member EDITORIAL ADVISERS Professor Femi OsoMsan Nigeria Professor John S. Illah Nigeria Professor Tess Onwueme USA Professor Don Rubin Canada Professor Olu Obafemi Nigeria Professor Osita Okagbue UK Professor Sam Ukala Nigeria Professor Saint Gbilekaa Nigeria Professor L. O. Bamidele Nigeria Copyright © 2013 Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists (SONTA) All Right Reserved Nigerian ? eatre Journal (ISSN 0189-9562) is published annually by the Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists (SONTA). Because the leadership of the Society changes every two to four years, it is encouraged that enquires about the Journal should be addressed to the current President of SONTA. Paper Subscription: Libraries and other institutions, U.S $100.00; individuals, U.S. $70.00; association members, U.S. $50.00; Students, $25.00. Journal orders and remittances should be sent to SONTA EDITOR. Manuscripts: Articles submitted for publication should be mailed to the Editor via: [email protected] . Manuscripts should meet the criteria outlined in the Instructions for Contributors. Copyright © 2013 Society of Nigeria ? eatre Artists (SONTA). All Right Reserved. Article copying exclusively for personal or internal or academic use, is permitted provided the copy user or producer gets appropriate permission from the SONTA Editor through writing. Contents 1. Practice Imperative for Transformation and Quality Enhancement in ? eatre Education in Nigeria Ofonime Inyang & Patrick Ebewo 2. Quality Assurance: Confronting the Odds in Nollywood Films John Iwuh 3. Quality Assurance and Stand Up Comedy in Nigeria Williams Sunday Onogu 4. Quality And ? e Vernacular Film: Imperatives For Igbo Language Filmmaking Francisca A. Nwadigwe 5. Matching Quantitative Growth and Development with Quality in Nigerian Video Film Industry Hameed Olutoba Lawal & Olatunji Aikomo 6. Costume and Makeup Designs and Productions: ? eir Quintessence in ? eatrical Productions Felix U. Egwuda-Ugbeda & Maryisabella Ada Ezeh 7. Quality Assurance in Dance and Choreography: Personal Experiences from the Lecture Hall to Praxis as Case Studies Arnold Udoka 8. Ensuring the Quality of Films and Videos Exposed in Nigeria: An Examination of the Role of the Nigeria Film and Video Censorship Board Regina Ode 9. Quality Assurance in Playwriting and Production at National ? eatrical Events: An Overview of Drama Entries at National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST ) ,2011 Denja Abdullahi 10. Reconstruction and RePections on the Social Responsibilities of Drama and ? eatre Adefolaju Eben Adeseke 11. Quality Assurance in ? eatre Audience Engineering and Marketing Osedebamen David Oamen & V.O. Diakpomrere 12. Integrating Health Issues through the Tiv Kwagh-hir Dennis Teghtegh 13. Quality Assurance in Costuming ? eatrical Performance in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Nollywood Films Ephraim Aga Shimsenge & Richard Gbilekaa 14. Exploring Dialectical Text Consciousnessin Acting for Quality Assurance Olabode Wale Ojoniyi, PRACTICE IMPERATIVE FOR TRANSFORMATION AND QUALITY ENHANCEMENT IN THEATRE EDUCATION IN NIGERIA Ofonime Inyang & Patrick Ebewo Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, SA Abstract Nigerian theatre training has put in more than forty years in tertiary education since the inaugural drama training at the University of Ibadan in the 1950s. ? e signiMcant role of theatre scholarship and practice is already established in national consciousness with monumental evidence of successful practitioners, scholars, teachers, theoreticians, researchers, artists who also command widespread international recognition and respect. While celebrating this giant achievement, the critical imperative of reassessing the training of theatre artists in Nigerian universities in particular and the need to draw from global best practices appear imminent. Apart from pointing ways to better throughput in the Meld, quality check is also critical in all industries and the success of the creative enterprise in Nigeria where theatre is a signiMcant player rests on this. ? is paper aims to re-examine the current context of theatre training in Nigeria and proposes increased interaction between drama schools and the industry. ? e objective is to foster quality enhancement in theatre training in the twenty-Mrst century while also positioning the country for global competitiveness in the Meld. Introduction Nigeria remains a nation of great potentialities and parades a diversity of talents, cultures and people who have braved the social, political and economic challenges at various times to register the name of the nation in bold prints on the artistic and creative map of the world. ? e cultural diversity of Nigeria projects a rich outlay of diDerent characteristics and attributes that constitute the way of life and expression of the various tribes that make up Nigeria (Obidi, 2005). Nigeria is thus globally acknowledged as a citadel of rich cultures, traditions, arts, entertainment, philosophy, thought, ensemble and vocations that enliven the human spirit, educate, entertain and act as a medium of information dissemination (Falola, 2001; Inyang, 2013). ? eatre has been part of Nigerian national life for many years. ? e various tribes of Nigeria parade material contents that have been identiMed by various scholars as representing their theatre and dramatic tradition (Adedeji, 1981; Ebong, 1990; Doki, 2006). Nigerian communities, even up to present times, celebrate various seasonal festivals and observances that constitute theatrical enactments in their own right and that clearly express the worldview and knowledge systems that have sustained those societies for ages. ? e modern expression of theatre or drama as a distinct discipline in Nigerian education system has been traced by various scholars to the colonial times where European operatic performances, concerts and cantatas dominated the cultural landscape of the era (Gbilekaa, 1997; Yerima, 2001). SuG cient scholarly attention has been given to establish the signiMcance and function of the three streams of dramatic activity in the areas of traditional or indigenous theatre, popular or trado-modern theatre and literary or conventional theatre and how each complements each other and contributes to the growth of the theatrical Meld in the country (Ogunbiyi, 1981; Ebong. 1990; Adediji and Ekwuazi, 1998; Gbilekaa, 1997; Obafemi, 2001; Yerima, 2005). ? e history of the development of modern theatre and drama in Nigeria and the introduction of drama and theatre training into higher education in Nigeria is traced to October, 1963 when the School of Drama began training students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's premier university, at that time, a college of the University of London (Yerima 25). ? e University of Ibadan remained the prime institution for the training of artists and dramatists in the theatre discipline for many years until when some of her former students graduated and moved to other parts of the country to take up jobs in the cultural centres, schools and tertiary colleges. ? is development soon led to increased requirements for manpower in the theatre and cultural Melds, leading to the establishment of theatre programmes in tertiary institutions in other parts of the country. ? at development has produced more than MQ een departments oDering programmes in dramatic, theatre, performing, creative, media arts in Nigerian tertiary institutions currently (Adeyemi 152; Daramola 259). ? is number has grown far beyond this today. ? e Current Situation of ? eatre Training in Nigeria Formal theatre training in Nigeria is largely concentrated in the universities, located in the diDerent parts of the country. ? e Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) is responsible for regulating tertiary education and ensuring quality assurance of all academic programmes oDered in Nigerian universities (www.nuc.edu.ng). ? e NUC's Minimum Academic Bench Mark for Arts Programmes (194) states the expected outcomes for theatre and performing arts graduates as follows: Graduates of theatre arts/performing arts can Mt into any sphere of endeavour. ? e knowledge acquired in the study of ? eatre Arts/Performing Arts makes the graduate of the course stand out in the portrayal of contemporary social realities using performance. ? ese graduates are entrepreneurs, express the arts with grace and integrity and are codiMers of the cultural traditions of Nigeria. ? e benchmark cited above is also considered aquality assessment template for measuring productivity in theatre programmes in the country. Whether the benchmark has produced expected outcomes is certainly a subject for another investigation. Also, some tertiary institutions such as polytechnics and colleges of education also oDer training in dramatic arts and educational theatre programmes. ? ere are also a few private universities such as Redeemer's University, Ogun State, Adeleke University, Osun State, Obong University, Akwa Ibom State that also oDer theatre or Media Arts