Management of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) is ready to host the sixth edition of its annual Creative Station Workshop for Children and Teens. The workshop was introduced in 2009 as a way of developing the imaginative skills of children and it has been held successfully since then.
In a statement to announce the commencement of preparation for this year’s edition, the Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NTN, Akin Adejuwon, said this year’s edition would hold between July 27 and August 30, at the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos.
“Like the other editions, this edition is planned to hold during the long vacation/summer break, and we consider this one of our flagship programmes because it is in line with the troupe’s objective of encouraging the development of children theatre and primarily, as a way of engaging the children creatively during their long holiday,” he said.
Coordinated by the director in charge of Drama of the National Troupe, Josephine Igberaese, the Creative Station Workshop, which will close with a command performance on August 30, is also designed to prepare the children for a future career in the theatre by exposing them to storytelling, creative writing, singing, dancing, acting, voice training, puppetry, creative writing, pantomime and improvisational skills.
Igberaese explained that the fee-paying workshop is for children between six and 18 years of age. She further explained that the workshop was the troupe’s own intervention in terms of productively engaging the children creatively during the long holiday.
According to her, “we believe that by engaging them creatively, they will not only take their minds off certain known vices during the long holiday, but will be able to polish their individual creative talents.”
On entry requirement, Igberaese explained that participants will be expected to pay N15,000. Entry forms can be obtained from the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos or on the NTN website.
“Parents can walk into our offices at the National Theatre and pay and get the forms or they can download the forms on our website,” she said.
Speaking on the workshop, Adejuwon stated that the troupe would engage experts in different areas of the theatre to complement the effort of the in-house professionals.
“We have qualified staff in-house, but because of the number of children that the workshop attracts, we will need more hands to instruct them. I am more particular about the quality of instructions, so that when their parents sit back to watch them on August 30, they will be proud of their children and wards,” he said.
In a related development, the NTN has moved forward its planned tour of Ghana to a later date. The tour, which was originally scheduled to hold this July, was postponed because of the delay in the release of funds. He however assured that the troupe will embark on the tour as soon as funds are released.