Rebecca Ejifoma
The highly anticipated 2019 edition of the Del-York Creative Academy has begun. It kicked off on Monday May 10 at Victoria Island Lagos with over 250 students in attendance and about 24 lecturers.
The academy is an expression of the company’s commitment to “Change the African Narrative and Drive Social Change across the Continent.”
The press conference hosted by the academywas a means to engage with the media and stakeholders about their various roles in creating shared value for the industry by investing in local content while igniting the future of Africa’s creative industry through filmmaking.
The session was led by a panel which included the CEO of Del-York International and President of Del-York Creative Academy (DCA), Linus Idahosa; Chairman of Choice International, Diana Chen; the lead lecturer of Del-York Creative Academy, Grant Housley; DCA lecturers; Daryl Gilmore and Alecia Reid.
Idahosa said: “The academy is expected to provide Africa’s next generation of storytellers the skillset to ignite their passions, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories.”
According to him, “the African creative industry is a gold mine capable of changing the entire continent and the academy is a labour of love and a seed intended to provide the needed structure for talents.”
The CEO further commended those whom he said were experts in the field of filmmaking. The academy’s programmes are being taught by well-respected and award-winning industry experts.
Noting that building the creative industry requires concerted efforts, Idahosa further noted that they were excited about the launch of this edition, as it reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the industry and promoting sustainability by creating shared value across the business through quality programming for their customers.
The 2019 DCA edition is in partnership with Choice International, LontorPays, Gree, Guardian Studios, The Guardian, Trace Naija and Yoomee. “They all played a crucial role in promoting the DCA as key players in the growth and sustainability of Africa’s creative film and television industry”.
Accordingly, the CEO added that the academywas about developing the skills of African filmmakers and the growth of the African Film Industry. It is also to give them the tools and skills necessary to increase the number of professional talents the continent has to offer, with an aim to develop technical skills in storytelling.
“The success of this academy will, over time, deliver a more professionalised, networked film and television industry across Africa and an expanded community of highly-skilled professionals who are passionate about creating quality home-grown content,” he said.
Housley, however, described Nigeria as a nation with the largest and most vibrant African creative industry and the DCA is an initiative created to amplify the African voice internationally.
