Theatre Arts Final-year Students Interact with Industry Players
The Department of Theatre Arts, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has held a symposium with industry players to prepare its final-year students for the job market. The symposium was under the theme “The Theatre Arts Graduate and the Job Market in Ghana”.
The symposium, held at the School of Creative Arts (SCA) Theatre on Central Campus, saw Theatre Arts alumni who are making a name for themselves in the creative arts space share their experiences with final-year students on how they broke through and how level 400 students could position themselves to follow in their footsteps to do even better than what they are doing.
The students were enlightened on self-promotion and arts management, a Theatre Arts graduate’s perspective on exploring creative and cultural skills for a sustainable career, and how to write decisive grants/sponsorship proposals.
The Head of Department (HoD), Theatre Arts, Dr. Faustina Brew, revealed that the purpose of the symposium was to furnish participants with ways of exploring social media for business purposes and inspire them to start businesses on their own or in collaboration with others using the skills they had gained at the department. "We want them to explore and build a living off the creative ideas and everything they learned here."
Dr. Faustina Brew encouraged people to apply for Theatre Arts at UEW to be equipped with needed professional training to enhance their work.
“The Theatre Arts curriculum teaches you how to develop a wide range of talents, including teamwork, playwriting, directing, event management, and theatre for development. It goes beyond acting and dancing. So, we call on interested people to come for top-notched professional training. We will equip them so that they can make a good living out there,” The HoD of Theatre Arts assured prospective students.
A lecturer at the SCA, UEW, Mr. Samuel Arko Mensah, on his part, charged the level 400 students to utilise their potential to achieve their purpose on earth. He urged them not to take things for granted but rather to be diligent, disciplined, and, above all, go for their ultimate goal.
"It’s not easy out there, but with perseverance, you can make it. We believe strongly that what we are supposed to impart on you as lecturers has been done. What is left is for you to believe in yourself, believe in your capabilities, and never stop dreaming. Step out there to do it," Mr. Arko Mensah motivated the final-year students.
Speaking on the topic of “Writing Grants/Sponsorship Proposals”, a lecturer at the School of Communication and Media Studies, UEW, Mr. Bismark Odum Sackey, underscored the need to appreciate the rudiments of writing for grants/sponsorship as theatre arts persons.
"I learnt how to write grants/sponsorship proposals here at this university. My first lecture on sponsorship was at level 300, where Mr. Ernest Kwasi Amponsah taught me, and I got my first sponsorship when I was at level 400 from that same thing he taught me, so it is not out of place that you too can do it.
“Trust me, it is not as difficult as you think it is. You only need to understand what goes into it, and you’re ready to go. Let me be quick to add that there is no single template for how a proposal should be written. It's about style and telling a story to the people you're pitching your project to," he professed.
Making a presentation on “Exploring Creative and Cultural Skills for a Sustainable Career: A Theatre Arts Graduate Perspective”, Mr. Desmond Danso Sakyi, popularly known as George in the YOLO TV series, entreated participants to celebrate their little wins but should not let it get into their heads. He admonished the final-year students to practice their elevator pitches to uplift their spirits in public.
The popular actor advised them to save and invest in things that add value to their persona and choose their networks wisely. “Don’t underestimate investing in yourself. It will help you a lot. Surround yourself with people whose knowledge and values make you better.”
In his presentation on the topic “Self-promotion and Arts Management”, a renowned event MC and social media influencer, Mr. Robert Atsem, urged participants not to concentrate on their books for good grades. He asked them to engage in things that excite their interest or curiosity to bring out the best in them.
"When I came here, I didn’t come here for marks because it wasn’t my biggest objective. I was a free-spirited student who wanted to enjoy what I was doing. It’s making sense to me now, and I am making some kind of impact with whatever I learnt."
Mr. Atsem also called on the level 400 students to prioritise internships and volunteerism.
