Our Artifacts Are Part of us, People Who Throw Them Away Are Not Educated

 

Our Artifacts Are Part of us, People Who Throw Them Away Are Not Educated

-       Anioma-Born Dance Therapist and Choreographer, Prof Nwanne Onyemenem  

Prof Nwanne Onyemenem is a professional Dancer, Educator, Writer, Musician and Choreographer. He is also the founder of the graduate studies in dance therapy. He was a member of the America Dance Therapy in Nigeria who thrives in the healing power of African dance and music. The Onicha-Olona-born choreographer with the defunct Bendel Arts Council who was one of the founders of the dance movement in Nigeria speaks to EMEKA ESOGBUE and AUGUSTINE AFAM UGAH of Pen Master Media, in a number of issues bothering on the development of arts in the country. He looks back on his days of development of dance in the country, importance of artifacts which he believes to tell the stories of the people, museums, choreography and the dying cultures of the people. Excerpts:

Pen Master: Our readers will like to meet you?

Onyemenem: Okay, I am Prof Nwanne Onyemenem from Onicha-Olona in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. I am a Professor in Dance Choreography. I have done a lot of researches and that’s what I am doing now to solve health problems. For 40 years, I have been in the profession of arts. I am a choreographer, dancer, musician, writer and a research-fellow.

Pen Master: You seem everything art in yourself. There must be more so, we will really like you to tell us more about yourself.

Onyemenem: (laughing) Like I said I am a Professor of Arts and I went to the University of Ibadan for dance choreography. I was the State Choreographer for the then Bendel Arts Council for ten years. I was a dancer for the World Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77). I have Diploma in Dance Theatre Arts, B.A (Hons); M.A. Dance Education; M.A. in Teaching English Language for speakers of other languages and a Research Fellow for 15 years. I am the Founder and Director of Educational Skills Development and Dance/Movement Therapy in Nigeria and a member of American Dance/Movement Therapy Association. I have started a 2-year program for Dance Therapy, registered in Asaba, providing the opportunity for doing internship and field work for those who can travel to the USA and be members of American Dance Movement Therapy. I am doing much with the universities. University of Benin is doing Dance Therapy in Mental Health and a student is at present doing his PhD. due to my efforts and help in bringing the program. I schooled in the USA and worked in the USA. I have published many books. I am really working hard to provide entrepreneurial opportunities for more Nigerians.

Pen Master: Again, you are very sound in arts. So, you were a member of the defunct Bendel Arts Council. Can you go nostalgic about this Art Council? What were some of the achievements of this Art Council to the nation?

Onyemenem: Well, I was a member of the defunct Bendel Arts Council and it was leading in Nigeria. It held a very high esteem in the federation because it trained many dancers, actors and directors. It carried out and documented researches. It held important positions in national festivals and took the image of Nigeria arts abroad. We made a lot of achievements. Let me start by stating that one form of progress or happiness I got from University of Ibadan was when the Art Council sent someone to the Department that they were looking for a choreographer and the Department recommended me to them. I came to Benin to do the work. God helped me and I achieved a lot. During the Shehu Shagari administration, the Art Council was good and we did a lot. The President sent a plane to bring us to the Lagos OAU Economic Summit. All of these happened because the Bendel Arts Council was very popular. And all of these also happened because I was the first chorographer ever. This happened because of the World Festival that had created big interest in arts. We achieved a lot. We started many programs like the dance music, performed once a week in Benin. We had a lot of research from one state to the other. I was going from one local government to the other choreographing, designing and helping to improve dance. We did a lot. The foundation to that helped me to reach where I am today.

Pen Master: …but to think that the Art Council in spite of these glorious achievements enumerated by you is defunct in the midst of all its richness is too chilling to bear. Why did the Art Council suddenly lose its appeal?

Onyemenam: The Art council did not lose appeal. The changes in the system of government affected the country in every aspect of life.

Pen Master: Okay, but did the Art Council also send you to the USA for further studies?

Onyemenem: Art Council did well because it gave me the opportunity but the Art Council did not send me to the USA. The man that recommended me is someone who I honour till today. He was the Area Bank Manager of Union Bank who saw my choreography and made a recommendation to the Bank for assistance. The bank first said they didn’t have a program like that but he recommended me again for a loan that I paid back. Another person that contributed to that was Group Capt Amandiwe because when I was asked to get a collateral, I did not have it. Group Capt Amandiwe brought shares that was equivalent to what the bank was looking for and I was able to travel out of the country.

Pen Master: Benin is commonly held as the centre of arts in the country. What was the relationship between your project and the Benin Royal Palace?

Onyemenam: (Excited) This is a very important question. The Benin royal kingdom was the foundation, strength and everything that backed up the richness of arts at this time. In fact, in our Bendel Art Council performances, we constantly we went to the palace. We rehearsed, choreographed and designed songs and dances like the Isagbahde, which is the very traditional Benin dance. We also did so many other dances like those of the Ishan because you know that Benin and Ishan are very much related. We listened to Benin songs and sound of drums.

Pen Master: Culture enthusiast in the country lament the situation of artists in the country, questioning why the Government lays so much priority on politics instead. Prof, why do you think that artists are neglected in the country?

Onyemenam: Well, what I can say is that before now, the Government was very much interested in arts because they created the Art Council in various states of the nation. They promoted researches and allowed art to grow. They encouraged competitions in secondary schools. Well, my answer to that is that the same concern that we have in every aspect of our life in the country is what is affecting the arts. It does not mean that the Government is not concerned about the art. Thy created it. They gave chance for it to grow. One of the reasons we cry is that the problems has spread and that it has touched our education, economy and agriculture. It has touched every aspect of our lives. The art workers are neglected because everything is neglected and it includes the art workers.

Pen Master: You were a major actor in FESTAC ’77 and decades after, we have people lay blame on this global festival as wasteful of finances. Do you have any cause to regret the FESTAC 77?

Onyemenem: I don’t regret being a major actor in the FESTAC 77 celebration. I gained a lot from my participation in the program. Nigeria gained and the entire world gained. The whole world especially the black world including Nigeria have done well in the provision of art. Personally, my gain rests in my advancement in arts and the foundation for my profession. There is a conducive, sound and strong archive in Lagos. I happen to be in that archive in 2015. My name is found there having participated in the World Festival of Arts. The art is only lying low, resting. The world established international view of the arts and incentives were provided for young artists. That’s my own idea because of what I have told you. People are going to have something to hold when we do what we have to do in Nigeria because a lot of information, a lot of research are now stalled. I don’t regret the black festival. The world art researches have a place in research works.

Pen Master: Prof, some have also claimed that all sorts of idols from different parts of the world were brought to Nigeria and that they now trouble us. Are they justified?

Onyemenem: Human beings can always think and always get superstitious but if you look at this with your own sense and reason it well, it is not reasonable to believe that. What the art has done is that it has helped us to know ourselves, to find the oneness in us and to know the history of our culture. I won’t support that and I don’t think it will be wise to support that. the people who call art works idols from around the world are free to say what they like. The truth is that civilized countries all over the world regard museums as places for knowledge and they spend good money for them.

Pen Master: Are there differences between pagan worship and art works since some people may think that art works are related to idol worship?

Onyemenem: Well, personally, I don’t believe it is true because art is perfectly pure. I won’t share that idea at all.

Pen Master: …but most gods worshipped in Africa are designed forms of art works…

Onyemenem: …Well, I wouldn’t say that people don’t worship them and wouldn’t say how much they do but remember that the artist imagines to create or design images and these images are always illustrative of the imagination of the artist. They may be perfectly true or not. The foundation of what is being projected depends on how far the story has been laid down. if it has been written or documented, what is being projected will be true. That’s my impression about that.

Pen Master: …but people often run away from their culture…

Onyemenem: (Shocked) …it is because of ignorance. One’s culture is one’s identity. Culture is important to the owners of their culture. Their behavior, attitudes, experiences and who they are, is important for them.

Pen Master: Pen Master: Let us come down to our Anioma area. Our people, Aniocha, Oshimili, Ika and Ndokwa/Ukwuani, no longer value our artifacts and we are losing a lot of them Christianity and other forms of westernization. To say that some of the people’s objects of worship are getting thrown away by our people is to say the least. Prof Onyemenem, what is responsible for this?

Onyemenam: It is very easy to see what is responsible for that. If you look round, the people are not aware of what they are supposed to do. they are not informed. Sorry to say, some of these people are not educated. If you see some of them that are focused, they know that these things are part of us because they tell stories of our foundation. They tell the stories of our forefathers. We cannot pretend to reject or throw them away because there is a connection with these things with our own culture. Some people act crazy. Even in the language we speak. The language is dying and they are pretending to be in the new world. What world is that? Look around the world, every society is conscious about its own art. Like I have already said, they don’t value our roots and find our artifacts useful. It is our responsibility to provide education from the grassroots so that our values will be preserved. Objects of worship should not be destroyed. They give us information and education. It is not a good thing to throw away our own culture.

Pen Master: And we are fast experiencing decline in our material culture. Traditional musicians are disappearing from the scenes. Dancers like you, are giving way. Traditional flute blowers are vanishing. What can we do?

Onyemenam: All we can do is what I am trying to do now. We need to go back to our roots and find our traditional music, create workshops, train the trainers to restore the skills. It is to remember that all those we are talking about, our forefathers started them in their own creativity and strength. At that time that they started it, there were no schools of akpele music, or other songs. We have individual who are talented artists all over the place. We have Biolonwu who we know in Onicha-Olona. He traveled all over the Delta State, from one part of the local government to the other and people enjoyed all he was saying with the dances and drums. We also know Nyebinyem Nzekpele. We heard about Nnene who was a big akpele man. These people did not go to school. It was about their own skill but now that schools are available what prevents us from setting up programs and bringing our children? When you look at the akpele we are talking about, it is a musical sound and rhythm. The language is the greeting of the king or the queen. What prevents us from holding workshops, go to secondary schools to set up this. This is a great challenge to us. Since we have schools now, we should develop curriculum and teach the skills needed. This will help us to preserve all our cultures in dance, music, folklore and food.

Pen Master: What else should the Government do to help our cause?

Onyemenem: The arts are very important. The Government should add it to the development plan and make it a priority in secondary schools and universities. They should also encourage artists with grants and scholarships. 

Pen Master: Well, still, in this part of the world, people no longer visit the museums and they seem out of place. How do we actualize these solutions without the place of museums in our societies?

Onyemenem: we should include the development of museums and encourage field trips for the students and non-students in our country. This is how the museums are preserved and used in other parts of the world.

Pen Master: Do you have any project for the improvement of culture in Aniomaland? It will interest our people to know.

Onyemenem: Definitely, I do. I have set up dance therapy. The first thing I did was to create educational skill development. In that aspect, I recruited students free of charge. They came to my studio and I paid their transport fare. With the all musical instruments I had, they started. They played guitar, drums and trumpets. As I talk to you here, I have a troop. That is what I do and it is the way to do. I am setting up a two-year program on dance therapy where students can come in and get their credentials. I have a school in Asaba that recruits the youths. I have done a 13-week program, announcing to students to come forward. They haven’t come much because of the pandemic but now that I have come back, I will continue. You will have to talk and encourage them. The reason is due to poverty and bad economy but we are not going to give up. I am returning from the State Ministry (in Delta State) where I have been to create awareness for this project to reach out to the grassroots.

Pen Master: People like you go to school to organize art competitions where students win prizes

Onyemenem: We are coming back to what we have talked earlier. These are the things that are supposed to be done and were done previously. People who are talented should be given the opportunity. These things are not functioning because of what we have talked about our country. The competition is not a hidden thing. At the moment, it is one of the things we are praying for.

Pen Master: Outline the advantages of your project to the common man

Onyemenem: Very wonderful! My program gives the opportunity to reach out to the grassroots because the grassroots is not reached.   

Pen Master: You are from Onicha-Olona, that beautiful community. Tell us the history of this place.

Onyemenem: Yes, I am from Onicha-Olona. Our history says that we are from Benin City like every Ezechime town. We are also told that Onicha-Ugbo is our closest relation. Onicha-Olona has six villages which are Umuolo, Ishekpe, Ogbeobi, Agba, Ogbekenu and Idumuje.     

Pen Master: Thank you, Prof and keep up the initiative, sir.

Onyemenem: Thank you to you, all.