General News | 8 June 2018 14:56 CET

Censors Board rolls out mentorship programme for Theatre Arts Undergraduates

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has launched a mentorship programme on film verification and rating for Theatre Arts undergraduates in Nigerian Universities.

The launch which was held at the 2018 Nigerian Universities Theatre Arts Festival (NUTAF), kicked off from June 4 to June 6 at the Plateau State University in Jos.

Over 600 undergraduates drawn from 25 universities across Nigeria ware attending the programme with the theme: “Nurturing a Vibrant Film and Video Culture for Economic Prosperity.’’

University Dons, and other industry practitioners were gathered by the NFVCB to hold master classes for the students.

Mr Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director of the board said that the mentorship initiative was to equip the young theatre practitioners with practical knowledge of the movie industry besides their academic experience.

“As the key regulator of the Nigerian motion picture industry, the board has decided to bring practical knowledge of how the sector works to these potential filmmakers to secure the future of our movie industry.

“We are teaching them on classifications and rating of videos and films, in order to properly position them for opportunities that abound in the industry.

“A lot of them are good script writers, actors and directors, but they have not been able to harness and chart a direction for themselves.

`However, many don’t know anything about classification, rating and even media literacy, which would make them effective professionals tomorrow,’’ he said.

He explained further that the board, under his watch was set to take its mentorship initiatives to all universities were Theatre Art is studied.

He added that to sustained the initiative, students would be trained and mentored, and will in turn train other students.

“From here, the board is going to establish mentorship clubs in universities across the 36 states, where it will train students who will become the board ambassadors on campus.

“The club will be a platform for enlightenment and education on issues of classification and rating on campuses across Nigeria.

Thomas noted that although a good knowledge of rating and classification of films and videos was crucial to filmmaker of the 21st century, it was hitherto not part of the curriculum for the Nigerian theatre Art students.

He explained that the board was making efforts towards ensuring that film classification and rating were inculcated into the Theatre Art curriculum of Nigerian universities.

“We are working towards getting making plans to get the NUC to include classification and rating of films into the films analysis courses in Nigerian universities.

`If a filmmaker does not understand classifications of films; how can he be a master in the art of filmmaking,?’’ he said.

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