UNICAL professor calls for strategic use of arts in development

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Professor Esekong Andrew-Essien

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

Professor Esekong Andrew-Essien, a Theatre and Media Scenography scholar in the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has called on the government to leverage visual and performing arts to drive development communication, stimulate economic growth and foster social transformation.

Delivering UNICAL’s 143rd inaugural lecture, Andrew-Essien highlighted the potential of combining visual, performative and electronic media strategies to enhance communication impact.

He introduced the Compacted Multi-Media Model (CM3), designed to integrate these elements for greater effectiveness.

The professor emphasised the importance of building capacity in the arts, revamping training curricula and adopting a human-centred approach. He noted that art could transcend language and culture, making it a powerful tool for communication and social change. He also expressed concern over the National Universities Commission’s directive to transfer Fine and Applied Arts departments from the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, calling for its reversal.

The lecture was titled, “Creative Convergence: Leveraging the Intersections of Visual and Performing Arts for Development Communication and Social Change.”

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