Mr Madison Conoley, the Cultural Affairs Officer, Embassy of the United States of America has called on the Federal Government especially Ministry of Education to provide the needed infrastructures artist need to display their works for the development of arts in the country.
Conoley who made the call in a interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the US Mission & SNA School Art Project in Abuja, said there was need for arts to be included among the different curses in the school curriculum.
He said Arts exchange is one of the most important values that United States of America and Nigeria share either visual or performing arts to the audience for the development of arts in the country.
According to him, If the youths are adequately engaged through arts, it would go a long way to reduce crimes, insecurity social vices in the society and encourage growth and development of the country.
“The students here are not artist but they have learnt the great deal about the different artistic mediums and you can see the product of their learning here on the walls.
“But more importantly this is about them and their understanding of how to express their thoughts about their community as well as expressing what they feel in artistic terms.
“So we came up several things and my hope is that the students here will go on and become artist to support arts in their communities,” he said.
Mr Muhammad Sulaiman, the National President Society of Nigerian Atrs said said that the School Art Project is aimed at creating value and creative opportunities for kids in secondary schools for self reliance after school.
He said the School Art Project sponsored by US Embassy to impact skills through visual arts which includes painting, poetry, fashion, creative writing among others is to ensure that the skills are further developed to enable them fend for themselves afrter school.
Sulaiman revealed that the School Art Project lasted for eighteen days and participants were drawn from public schools and kids that are interested in arts to encourage them come into arts.
“The whole idea is to ensure that we don’t have kids on the street so that they can be self reliant after school and be able to impact on others so that the community can be better,” he said.
A participant from Government Secondary School (GSS) Kubwa thanked the organisers for the School Art Project and promised to use the knowledge acquired to be self employed after school. (NAN)