Creative Academy To Premiere Film And Music Training Session In Calabar This Summer

By Jonathan Ugbal Follow @NaijaJonathan

A film and music training session will berth in Calabar, the Cross River State capital this summer a statement from the Department of Creative and Knowledge Economy says.

“The training session is aimed at creating job opportunities as these two industries which include motion pictures, sound recording and music production are now worth billions of pounds and contribute about £5 billion to Nigeria’s £307 billion GDP,” the statement issued Tuesday in Calabar quotes the Senior Special Adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Etim as saying.

He averred that the key to growing the creative industry into a veritable creative economy is training and capacity building, hence the need for the academy which will have master classes for those interested and those already in the music and segments of the creative industries.

“The Calabar Creative Academy is thus conceived to bridge the capacity building gap in the Creative Industry in Cross River State,” the statement read and added that: “The four weeks long training will cover film, music and theatre as well as business management, financial accounting, marketing and many more.

“The training will take place at the expansive Okoi Arikpo Building and will have leading trainers from across the globe. It is planned to hold quarterly and will be six hours long daily starting at 9am and ending at 3pm with a break at 12 noon.”

The training is an initiative of Peridot entertainment, the Creative and Knowledge Economy Department in collaboration with partners, foreign agencies and the private sector.

And, the statement said more information regarding registration, guidelines and other details will be made available in due time.

Experts have posited that there will be phenomenal growth of the creative economy in the next few years with projections that Cross River State will be the next creative capital of Nigeria.

It is expected that the conception of the Calabar Creative Academy will offer trainees after graduation, “the option of applying for grants or loans under the Cross River State Creative Economy Development Fund supported by partners,” the Department said.

Also, “Trainees who graduate with good grades will also have the opportunity of furthering their training overseas through a collaboration with foreign partners to improve their skill and learning,” the statement added.