Lagos govt inspires young artists, unveils arts competition

Lagos State Government is inspiring young artists, sculptors and creative thinkers in secondary and tertiary institutions across the state whose gifts must be encouraged, refined, celebrated and projected to the world.

As a result of this, the state government through the Senior Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos State on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Damilola Ayinde-Masha, has unveiled the Eko-Arts and Crafts Competition, as one of the strategic interventions that will bring this vision to life.

Briefing journalists, the senior special adviser pointed out that by
promoting arts and crafts, the government is encouraging creativity and also safeguarding the cultural wealth of Lagos.

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Furthermore, she said that the initiative would serve as a platform to foster creativity amongst young people, encourage entrepreneurship in the creative sector, promote cultural heritage through modern and traditional artistic expressions, and develop genuine skills that will support sustainable economic growth and innovation in the state.

She said that this marked the official launch of the registration portal of the Eco, Arts and Crafts Competition, adding that the portal will serve as the primary platform for eligible participants to register and submit their entries.

“This Eco-Arts and Crafts Competition is one of the strategic interventions that will bring this vision to life. This competition has been carefully designed to discover, nurture and showcase the immense talents that exist in our secondary and tertiary institutions across the state.

‘We recognise that within our classrooms are young artists, sculptors and creative thinkers whose gifts must not only be encouraged but must also be refined, celebrated and projected to the world,” she said.

She pointed out that despite the fact that classroom learning provided the foundation for intellectual growth, there is also the need to create platforms where creativity can flourish, where hidden skills can be brought to life, and where passion can be transformed into productive careers.

“This is what this competition seeks to achieve. Art, as we know, is more than just aesthetics. It is storytelling. It is a heritage preservation.

“It is a mirror of society through paintings, drawings, sculptures and crafts. Our young people have been able to express their thoughts, aspirations and ideas while also preserving our cultural identity for future generations,” she said.

She emphasised that the competition was strictly for secondary and tertiary institutions in Lagos State encouraging school administrators, parents, teachers and guardians to motivate their work and students to take advantage of the golden opportunity.

“This competition promises not only recognition but also life-changing opportunities for winners as they will be exposed to mentorships, exhibitions and possible partnerships that will enable them to thrive in the creative industry,” she added.