TQM report,
Potters Gallery Initiative on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021 in Abuja organized a focus group meeting on Disability Art Access in Nigeria.
The event funded by British Council was put together to enhance access for persons with disabilities in creative art.
Over the years, it has been uphill task to mainstream persons with disabilities in creative industry. So the meeting was organized to bring stakeholders in different fields of creative art together to see ways in which they would understand disability inclusion and apply it in their policies and activities.
The Executive Director, Potters Gallery Initiative, Mr. Donald Unanka in his opening speech appreciated those who found time to be at the meeting. He pointed that there are so many talents among persons with disabilities in creative art but they have not been given opportunity to showcase their talents because the challenges associated with exclusion and in accessible system in Nigeria. Different associations such the Actor Guilds and many others have not developed policy targeting the inclusion of persons with disabilities and creative industry in Nigeria which includes Nollywood, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Advertising, Arts and Antiques contributes 1.42 percent of Nigeria GDP according to National Bureau of Statistics and Persons with disabilities who have over 30 million in Nigerian population going by WHO estimation have been entirely excluded.
The representative of the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Ag. Director, Social Integration, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia said that the dialogue is coming at the right time because it is happening when the commission is working towards enhancing opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Commission have been engaging all the MDAs to ensure that 5% employment opportunities are implemented. So, the commission is willing to support persons with disabilities who are into creative art because it is also one-way, employment can be created for persons with disabilities.
Speaking further, he said that the commission is ready to collaborate with as many organizations as possible to create opportunities for persons with disabilities and creating access for persons with disabilities in the creative industry is one that the commission is keenly interested in, going by its economic benefits to persons with disabilities.
Zakaria Adamu, a Deputy Director at National Gallery of Art, commended the group for inviting his organization, said that he has never viewed the issues from the light it was presented to him at the event. He urged the group to reach out to all the groups and associations within the creative industry and share the disability inclusion perspective with them and surely the attitude towards persons with disabilities will begin to change. He charged the group to write and explain to his organization how the group wish to collaborate with them.
Nneka Okafor from UNESCO in her speech suggested domesticating of the Disability Act in the states and engaging every relevant group to understand the Disability Act so that they would be mainstream disability in all their activities. She promised to work with the group to bring together all relevant groups and associations within the creative industry so that they would begin to understand disability issues and incorporate disability friendly policies in their operations.
Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo, Producing Artistic Director, AROJAH ROYAL THEATRE, said that the problem has always been the ignorance of all the groups in Nigeria. They are not aware of the need to mainstream persons with disabilities. He said that he got to understand the process of inclusion of persons with disabilities when he was part of production in UK and USA. He came to see that you must consider access for persons with disabilities in your production and the venues chosen for shows must be disabilities friendly. He prescribed more advocacy to all these groups and associations which he believes that would helpful to deepen disability inclusion in these groups and associations.
There were also goodwill messages from Vera Ashibuogwu from Diamond Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation and a representative from SDG office.
The event witnessed a Potters Gallery Initiative developed video documentary of an artist who is deaf and there was deliberation on how best to engage the key stakeholders in the creative industry to enhance inclusion of persons with disabilities.
A communique/guideline would be developed and shared with the stakeholders.
TQM learnt that the group would continue to engage key stakeholders, groups and association to ensure that artists with disabilities are fully mainstreamed in the creative industry.
SOME PICTURES OF THE WORKSHOP
