National Theatre Academy underway – Ododo

The General Manager of the National Theatre, Prof. Sunday Ododo, says all arrangements have been put in place to establish a National Theatre Academy.

Ododo, who disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Abuja, said the academy would hunt for talents as well as train and retrain practitioners in the creative industry.

“We are coming up with the National Theatre Academy to hunt for talents as well as train and retrain those that are already in practice.

“This National Theatre Academy will be for film and performing and allied arts.

“The finest in the creative industry is what we want to produce.

“I must add that we don’t have all the money to do this, but to work in partnership with other stakeholders to drive this,” he said.

The general manager recalled that barely two and half months in office, he had engaged relevant stakeholders through partnership.

This, he said, had helped his management to reduce cost.

“So, that is what partnership can do. What I don’t have but you have, you have to collaborate to make it happen.

“We will rely on this to ensure that our dream to change the cultural landscape of Nigeria especially for creative and performing artists in Nigeria comes to stay,” he said.

Ododo also said that his vision for the National theatre was to key into the mandate of the Act that created it.

He said that he would run the theatre as a viable commercial project as well as preserve and protect the cultural heritage of the country.

“Going forward, we want to give mobility for this mandate. The National Theatre to us is not just a structure, but a concept that envelopes the entire nation.

“So, we cannot be left alone to project our national culture, we have to move round to the nooks and crannies of this nation.

“At the moment, we have three operational stations outside Lagos. We have one in Jos, Kano and Calabar and of course, a liaison office in Abuja.

“So, my vision is to discover more talents and give platform to the creativity industry in Nigeria to make gains and ensure that it puts food on their table,” Ododo said.