The immediate past Dean, Faculty of Arts at the University of Abuja and Convener, 2016 Annual Conference of the African Theatre Association (AfTA), Professor Mabel Evwierhoma, has emphasised that theatre is life and anyone who denigrates or fights the theatre must come to the realisation that theatre must go on.
Professor Evwierhoma made this assertion on Thursday, 21st July, 2016, while delivering a welcome address at the opening ceremony of AfTA 2016, with the theme: “Paradigm Shifts in African Theatre and Performance”, which took place at the Faculty of Management Sciences Complex, University of Abuja Main Campus, Abuja-FCT.
Reiterating that the theatre and society symbiosis demonstrates conflict and instability, Evwierhoma maintained that although in the past where social indicators reveal some forms of peace locally and internationally, the cloud of uncertainty hovering around the terrains of theatre performance is enough proof to shift from sureness to drive the future of theatre performance in Africa.
Her words: “Paradigms shall always shift as long as concepts and values remain to shape and move activities and experiences. Many often forget to denote the status quo ante that paradigms shift form and to where they lie, only to talk of paradigms shifting.”
Evwierhoma however stressed that if paradigms shifting could be any relevant, the shapers of paradigms generally must ensure that knowledge is produced to drive the paradigms; and therefore maintained that there is need for the dependency syndrome in the academia to be jettisoned.
On whether old paradigms may return or not, the University Don said, perhaps, as the cycle of time evinced by fashion that is embraced goes and is thrown back decades after, so shall our experiential departure return to our contentment.
Caleb Nor
Corporate Affairs Unit
NICO Abuja