By Mary Nnah
The EbonyLife Creative Academy (ELCA) has been formally opened for registration on www.ebonylifecreativeacademy.com. This groundbreaking initiative is supported by the Lagos State Government through Lagos State Creative Industries Initiative (LACI), under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
ELCA offers free, practical short courses covering all aspects of filmmaking and media content production, including acting, directing, producing, editing, sound, and lighting. Designed by local and foreign industry experts, the courses are designed to help working film professionals improve their skills and make them globally competitive, and to equip beginners with the skills they need to launch their careers on a sound footing.
ELCA was conceived by EbonyLife CEO, Mo Abudu in response to the growing shortage of industry professionals, as Nollywood continues to expand.
“We have so much talent in Nigeria and our people are ready to work. Unfortunately, very little training is available locally and most people cannot afford to go abroad for training. EbonyLife Creative Academy is meant to fill that gap and make world-class training available. Thankfully, the governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, understood our vision and gave us the support we needed to establish the academy here in Lagos, the hub of Nigerian filmmaking,” she said.
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Sanwo-Olu said, “We are very excited about this development because it is in line with two of the development pillars of our THEMES agenda – education & technology and entertainment & tourism. By training our people to use the latest technology, we will continue to enhance the quality of our entertainment content and attract production crews from the rest of Africa and around the world.”
With Nollywood being the world’s third largest film industry in terms of volume, ELCA is the first step towards creating a value chain built on international best practice in production quality.
As Nigerian films continue to improve, so has their global acceptability and popularity. Nollywood needs actors, directors, producers and technical crew who can meet the demands of the international film and television market. This will reduce Nollywood’s use of overseas crew to fill key production roles and allow filmmakers to retain their unique style of Nigerian story-telling.
Situated in the heart of Victoria Island, ELCA features state-of-the art lecture rooms with projection and sound facilities, studio workshop spaces, and post-production facilities fitted with all the latest technology. Students will have everything they need to excel in their chosen field if they put in the work required. The academy’s short courses and programmes are designed to provide both seasoned professionals and beginners with the essential technical, creative and practical skills for the film and TV industry.
Industry experts will provide pragmatic, in-context learning that will enable graduates to pursue roles on commercial productions with confidence.
According to Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Hon. Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, ELCA is exactly what Lagos needs at this time. “As we begin to emerge from the shadow of this global pandemic, it is heartening that we can look forward to an increase in activity in the movie industry, which provides so many jobs and supports so many small businesses. EbonyLife Creative Academy will be a catalyst for growth in this sector,” she said.
Registration opens on 17th December and the first intake will commence classes on 8th February 2021 for the first quarter, while the next intake commences on 26th April 2021 and every quarter thereafter. At the end of each ten-week course, groups of students from different disciplines will merge into teams to produce a short film or television shows each for exhibition.
Free courses are available from February 2021 for aspiring creatives and established filmmakers looking to gain world-class skills and career advancement
Internships are available for the best-performing students, giving beginners an ideal start to their careers.
