LASG Creative Initiative Partners Creative Institutions to Empower 1500 Filmmakers

LASG Creative Initiative Partners Creative Institutions to Empower 1500 Filmmakers

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in partnership with two creative training institutions, Del-York and Ebonyilife Academies, has launched the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI) to equip 1480 practitioners with world class skills.

The initiative, as stated, will serve as a training platform for practitioners in the creative industry, and to boost the use of modern technology, enhance content and quality of entertainment.

The free training, which is billed for March, aims to make Lagos State a destination for a skilled, workforce for the creative industries while boosting the state’s economy.

Some of the skills lined up for the programme include Script Writing, Directing, Cinematography, Filmmaking, and Fashion and Style, Digital Filmmaking, Documentary Filmmaking, Digital Marketing, Fashion, Arts & Crafts, Film Post-Production, Producing and the Business of Filmmaking.

With these benefits, the Commissioner for Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharm. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, described LACI as a progressive effort of the state government to positively alter the game for the creative industry.

She emphasised: “The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has entered into this partnership with Ebonylife Creative Academy and Del-York Creative Academy to enhance the skills and bring about the exposure of beneficiaries in the state’s creative industry through LACI.”

Akinbile-Yussuf further highlighted that LACI is here to stay and will continue to train and empower creative individuals in the state, as well as birth new and innovative projects and programmes to cater to the ever-growing needs of the industry.

“We believe a fourth industrial revolution is underway – one driven by the transformative power of the creative industries,” she said, in her closing remark. “LACI is a measure to ensure that Lagos State and her creative industry will always remain ahead of the game.

With the persisting pandemic till date, the commissioner said this is the best time to host such a programme for the creative industry. “We need to build our capacity to suit the situation – Covid. This will also help the economic value of the state.”

While Del-York Creative Academy will pilot the virtual Creative Lagos for 1,000 residents, Ebonylife will host the physical programme for 480 professionals and beginners in a three-month comprehensive short courses.

The President of Del-York Creative Academy, Dr Linus Idahosa, “Creative Lagos – as a project of Del-York Creative Academy,” says Linus, “will only synergise talents, technology and career technical education.”

He continued that the programme would also ensure that all participants are globally positioned at the cutting edge of innovation in the short-term and for years to come; to evolve local creative industries across multiple layers of many rapidly transforming landscapes.

Giving a hint on the milestones of the capacity-building institution in the last decade, Idahosa lauded the commitment of the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to help citizens realise their full potentials in charting a new and different path for creative industry.

In her remarks, the Founder and CEO of Ebonylife, Mo Abudu, lauded the groundbreaking efforts and the aspirations of the administration in birthing LACI as an intervention to respond to the growing shortage of industry professionals.

“With the launch of the Ebonylife Creative Academy (ECLA),” Mo Abudu assured, “We have developed a comprehensive training program by local and foreign industry experts, and features courses designed to assist working film beginners and professionals improve their skill set to position them for the competitive global market.”

This initiative seeks to empower creative-minded residents; provide necessary infrastructure within the state as tools to hone and attract the skills, resources and creativity for a competent creative and entertainment workforce that will position the state as the outsourcing capital for the creative industry in Africa.

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