Universities theatre festival is a marketplace – Dr. Edward Ossai

Dr. Edward Ossai is the 2018 National Universities Theatre Festival (NUTAF) convener and Head of Department (HOD), Theatre Arts, Plateau State University, Bokkos which took place from June 3 to 8. In this interview he talks about the benefits of NUTAF, filmmaking in Nigeria, and more. Excerpts:   You were the convener of the just […]

Dr. Edward Ossai is the 2018 National Universities Theatre Festival (NUTAF) convener and Head of Department (HOD), Theatre Arts, Plateau State University, Bokkos which took place from June 3 to 8. In this interview he talks about the benefits of NUTAF, filmmaking in Nigeria, and more. Excerpts:

 

You were the convener of the just concluded National Universities Theatre Festival in Jos, Plateau State. What would you say you put together this year that is different from any other year?

I would like to make reference to the Nigerian state as it is today. We are having some very bad experiences. We have heard of conflicts like herdsmen attack, Boko Haram, and so on. Everyone is worried and universities are no longer safe because anybody can attack at any time. So we thought of intervening and make some suggestions through the art. That is why we tagged the year’s theme, ‘Connecting Bridges’. We want to connect bridges and bring Nigeria back to the years when everyone was free to walk around, where ethnicity and religion were not big issue. So, we thought the 38th edition of the festival must be different, and that is why we hosted it in Jos because this is a state that promotes peace and tourism. We ought to promote peace. For a long time now, we have not had as many students attend a festival. In Benin last year there were about seven universities, but this year we had about 24. This is different.

 

What usually determines where NUTAF is held?

Schools are allowed to bid for hosting rights. We did in last year’s festival in Benin and got the rights.

 

There seems to be a disconnect between the theatre department and the industry out there. What is being done to connect them?

We are always connected. Some of them, like Sam Dede were invited for NUTAF. Also, some of our students go to professionals for internship, so we are connected. I don’t see any disconnect. The disconnection you are talking about may be the film industry which is fragmented into various woods, the Yorubawood, Lagos, Ibadan, the Hausa Kannywood axis and the Calabar axis. That I agree is disconnected, but for us we are in touch. 

 

Is there a way these students are being mentored to carry on with what they have learned or benefitted from after NUTAF?

To start with, the festival is a market place. A market place in the sense that we discover talent and mentor them.  I can assure you this because I was one of the judges. We took the best actor, best director and the best story, and they were given awards to encourage them continue after this festival. It will be very good if they have some support. What will encourage them is to have an area of specialty because theatre is very broad. We have sound, music, costume, make-up, directing, acting, and editing. So, we encourage them to specialize instead of being masters of all. In that way, you can get a job easily. What we are trying to do is to empower people so they will not have to look for jobs. We want them to be on their own when they graduate and that is why we try to discover talent. At NUTAF, we network and also build bridges.

 

How often is the Theatre Arts Department curriculum reviewed?

It happens every four years. We have an association of theatre professors who meet at the University of Jos to unify the curriculum. Some schools have Department of Theatre Arts, some Department of Theatre and Cultural Studies, Department of Media Arts, Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, and so on. So, they are thinking of how we can harmonise all these and have a particular name. They met this year and will meet again next year. 

 

How do you view the development of the Nigerian movie industry?

It is doing very well. Despite the crisis, despite the fragmentation. 

 

The Motion Pictures Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) bill has been in the pipeline since the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. What do you think has been frustrating the bill?

The frustration of course is a Nigerian factor. Majority of the people in the House of Assembly are not theatre-friendly. We had a second reading, after this, they commissioned it. The committee is working to see how they can pass it. It will help develop and give us a sense of direction if finally passed. 

The legislators believe that the frustration has been more from the industry, because there was a recent case last year where a committee was set up to recheck the bill, and at the end of the day, at the point of submission, members of the committee came together to suggest one of their members to head the council. 

 

What do you think could be done so there could be some level of progress among industry practitioners?

Now that is a serious challenge. This is why the film industry is fragmented. Nollywood is just an abstract for us. I am a film maker too. Nollywood is just a fragment of Nigerian cinema. The film makers from the south look down on the film makers from the north, and this is a reflection of the Nigerian state. 

 

What has your experience as a filmmaker been like so far?

I have been a filmmaker for about 20 years now. I was in the film institute for fifteen years and worked as a director for my university. The problem we have is that of distribution. I used actors from churches and they in turn distributed my movies. Because I appeared in them, all my members watched the movie. So that was a challenge I overcame. I used people my audience knew and it became a selling point for me. If not for that, I would have had a problem getting back my money. Unfortunately, when a film is produced it gets pirated. You see the film everywhere and yet the money isn’t coming into your bank account. For me I overcame that challenge. I used actors from different places, from Keffi, Kaduna and Kano. And they are all upcoming actors.