EMOWAA excites 500 students, boosts careers in arts
The Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA), with support from Open Society Foundation in Africa (OSF Africa), yesterday engaged at least 500 students in its Open Learning programme aimed at getting young people excited about their local histories and the prospects for meaningful careers in the creative industry.
Addressing newsmen during the workshop, Ore Disu, Director of EMOWAA Pavilion, a state of the arts research facility currently under construction in the city, expressed optimism that EMOWAA shared the early outcomes of its immersive extra-curricular learning programme with its partners and stakeholders.
Disu, who noted that the extra-curricular learning programme was critical to its partners and stakeholders, said a sizeable group of predominantly 13-16 years old took part in the over 30 hours of in- class learning sessions and 16 hours of an array of out-of-school activities.
According to Disu, the session included visiting the live EMOWAA Archaeology research site where Dr.Olusegun Opadeji, senior lecturer of Archaeology at the University of IIbadan, took them on a tour of the site.
Disu informed that the Open Learning’s pilot phase engaged 527 students from five schools in Edo State said that the students also visited Nosona Art Studio, owned by renowned Artist Enotie Ogbebor, where they engaged in pottery making under the supervision of professional ceramists hosted by Nosona Art Studio.
The Director of EMOWAA Pavilion, stressed that EMOWAA is not-for-profit organisation, but aims at building a self sustaining ecosystem in West Africa for heritage, craftsmanship, and contemporary arts by providing an environment for learning, research, and exhibition, as well as a workspace for artists, artisans and scholars in Benin City.
