LASG HOLDS CULTURAL FIESTA FOR CHILDREN

Lagos State Government has reiterated its determination to continue to organise indigenous cultural programmes to educate the populace, especially school age children, stressing that the preservation of the various aspects of the indigenous culture, moral ethos and languages of the people of the State is important for the sustainability of long term development and cultural values.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts and Culture, Mrs. Adebimpe Akinsola stated this at the ongoing summer cultural fiesta at the State Council for Arts and Culture, Ikeja, during her interaction with school children participating in the fiesta.

According to her, “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is an avowed lover of indigenous culture and its values, which can be affirmed through the present administration’s unflinching support for any programme or activity with indigenous cultural content such as the children summer cultural fiesta”.

Mrs. Akinsola declared that the fiesta, usually organized by the government during the long holidays, aims to expose and train participants in cultural etiquette and the use of indigenous language to convey messages through moonlight stories, proverbs and idioms. Apart from this, the children also undergo basic training in script writing, composition of traditional songs, dancing and drama presentation.

The Special Adviser, who engaged the participants in series of idioms and short stories, enjoined the students to make good use of the opportunity by inculcating the enormous benefits inherent in the programme to justify the State Government’s investment in the fiesta.

The two-week culture orientation programme, running for the third year, according to the Director, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs. Olaitan Otulana, also involved vocational training in beads making, arts and craft production and decoration, adding that the children will also learn basic visual art and production of Adire tie & die.

She, therefore, advised parents to seize the opportunity to expose the children to this valuable cultural based programme, noting that the programme is still open for participants between the ages of 8 to 15 years until it rounds up by 18^th of August.