By Evangeline Anumba
A Professor of Theatre Art, University of Abuja, Mabel Evwierhoma, has called for research into indigenous Gbagyi culture in Abuja, and a memorial seat for the FCT.
Delivering her lecture at the 18th Inaugural lecture of the University of Abuja, she said there is the need to look into the culture by the university before it slips away.
“After existing for close to three decades, the opportunity to research indigenous Gbagyi culture should be exploited by the University of Abuja before it slips by. There should be a memorial seat for the FCT. It is important that we support our culture so they don’t become extinct. As a lecturer in Theatre Art, I believe strongly that you can use art to support any culture that is around you. Abuja School of Theatre is gradually becoming one that is tool-kitted to interface with governance issues and the cultural bases should not be left out.”
She said Nigerian drama needs more home grown ideologies and so Nigerian Drama and theatre scholars should not be theory introverted.
“African academics need to produce every sense of the word, knowledge, disseminate as well as consume it. Nigerian Drama and Theatre Scholars should not be theory-introverted. The need for the enlightenment factor in local ideologies is important in instances when they are applied to plays by Africans first.
Delivering her lecture, titled “Mother is Gold: the Mater, the Matter and Women-Centered approaches in Nigeria drama and theatre,” she also called for the wake of female dramatists in the Nigerian playwriting realm to address the need for a female voice and perspective in society and importantly the need for women to take the centre stage of creativity.
The Professor of Theatre Art noted that even if the female dramatists have been sidelined by the male, that it’s only creativity that would make the change because through creativity, female dramatist could counter the perception of women being mediocrities in the sector.
“Women writers should seek the redistribution of power. The creative power should be employed by women to re-write history. Making women pedestrians or mediocrities should be countered by female dramatists through creativity. Female dramatists can infuse the mater element into dramatic creativity.”
“As a pioneer in the Abuja School of Theatre and dramatic interventions to address women-centred issues, I believe that the idea has come to stay. I have enabled open doors for others in the area of women-centered approaches to drama and theatre.”
She called for women writers as well as readers as she noted that if women do not write they would become absence from literacy and performative history.
Reading Is important, if women do not write, they become absent from literary and performative history. In order not to ignore the contributions of women in the
past, women’s inscription is crucial. Women can create realities that condition human existence.
Writing helps to counter masculinist views. Female playwrights should reject the laws, religious teachings, creeds and doctrines that seem to hemline women and insist on the required and even radical alteration in the way theology places women in text and context. Reading as a woman has advantages for the writing woman and reading woman share experiences that unveils the worldview of the writer.
She advised women in theatre art to be of good repute.
“Women should continue to promote moral restitute, have good reputation and integrity, they should know they are the bearers and nurturers of life, in that regard morality should be their watchword in the roles they play or stage. They should continue to attack social ills because the theatre art is first and foremost a teacher.
The dignitaries she garnered were from the outset caught in her lecture and blown away with not only her in-depth enlightening lecture on Art but her achievements, which amongst others she’s known as the First female Head of Department, Theatre Arts; First female professor of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja; First female professor of Theatre Arts to be Dean of Arts; First female professor to present an Inaugural Lecture from the Faculty of Arts and as Dean; First female, from Faculty of Arts on the Governing Council of the University of Abuja; and recently, Pioneer Director of Development Office, UniAbuja.