Some of the participating children at the arts workshop Pix: Sun News Publishing

More Stories on This Section

At least 15 out of an initial 500 school pupils drawn from across the federation have been selected to participate in an international children arts exchange programme in Bratishlava Slovakia Republic later this year.

The lucky 15 winners were among 35 finalists that took part in the grand finale of an arts exhibition contest. The arts exhition was organized by the Peace International Incorporated, Pan-African Reconciliation Centre in conjunction with the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture (LSCAC) to mark the International Decade for a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world (2001-2010) declared by the 55th plenary meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
They include: Tosin Ojulari (Kwara), Enyi Ben-Eboh Emmanuella (Cross River), Babatunde Sadiat Halimat (Kwara), Teslim Ayomide Balogun (Lagos) and George Adenuga (Lagos).

Others are: Olasubomi Oyeneye (Ogun), Chioma Emmanuella Nnodim (Imo), Itobe Onome Priscilla (Edo), Arigbede Kayode (Ekiti) and Etunnu Chizoba (Imo).
The rest include; Olafimihan Oladotun (Ogun); Aguisy David Onyeke (Imo), Oluwatimilehin Otukoya (Ogun), Dan Soyibo (Ogun) and Lilian Ekpe Oshanyi (Benue).
The children, whose ages range between seven and 12 years, were adjudged the best in painting, mix-media calligraphy and script writing. Their works were particularly screened based on the concepts, media and expression.

The grand finale of the competition, which held at the multi-purpose hall of the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture at Ikeja on Tuesday, August 14, 2007, was witnessed by major Nigerian institutions, NGOs, arts enthusiasts, teachers, parents, manufacturing companies including Cadbury and Nutric-C, which donated their products to the competing children.

The PARC Executive Director, Dr Ade Adenekan, said the successful children would spend 10 days in Bratilava when they would slug it out with their Slovakian counterparts in a keenly contested Calligraphic and Fine Arts competition. The emerging three best children of both sides would win the ultimate prizes.
The Nigerian children, he said, would have opportunity of an excursion visit to historical sites and monuments as well as interaction with their Slovakian peers, which it is hoped, would foster international understanding and better cultural appreciation among the future world leaders.

Speaking through the project officer, Mr Yomi Olukoya, PARC Executive Director, Dr Adenekan, appealed to donors to facilitate the trip of the children, stressing that funds were still being sought for health insurance, travelling kits, souvenirs, jackets and event brochure among other materials to equip the team, although the bulk of the funding is being expected to be borne by the Peace International Incorporated and UNESCO.

The Slovakian Embassy, according to Olukoya, is also involved in the project and has promised to issue the children Visas at no cost. He credited the inspiration and evolution of the exchange programme to a renowned Slovakian artist, the late Marianne Bolusova, who, he said, provided a lot of material assistance to ensure that it became a reality.

He, however, regretted that the orbited artist died while the idea was still on the drawing board.
Olukoya, however, said PARC, an international organization committed to peace education, social justice and non-violence, has an affiliate status with other bodies overseas including International Fellowship of Reconciliation in the Netherlands and International Peace Bureau (IPB) in Geneva, Switzland. He added that PARC was committed to seeing the project become a reality.

He explained that the concept of the exchange programme, which will be an annual event, was to create a platform for Nigerian children and their peers abroad to meet and fellowship for global peace and cultural development, using arts to express their inner stirrings. "There is no doubt that arts mature the brain and grows the mind, through thinking and creativity. So, we hope this will grow a generation of advanced minds among the leaders of tomorrow," Olukoya added.