….as new HOD, Dr. Tume sheds light on highlights of programme
By Wole Balogun
S.A media to VC
Fresh students admitted into the Theatre and Media Arts’ Department of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) recently dazzled the University community and their friends, relatives and associates as they displayed great potentials in acting, dance and music performances on the proscenium stage of the University’s playhouse, reputed to be one of the best in Africa!.
It was indeed an exhilarating moment for the excited audience who were treated to a variety of dance, music and acting performances reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria. The performers’ resplendent costumes and exciting make-up, reflect Nigeria’s cultures and added colour to the glamour of the performances.
Tagged: Induction ceremony 2023, the programme is an annual official ritual usually carried out to induct the fresh students into the Thespian world after series of rigorous and rewarding rehearsals.
This year’s edition had the theme: “Ojúṣe”, a Yoruba word translated in English to mean: “Duty” or “Responsibility.”
Besides its huge success in performance, there were novel and more accommodating ideas brought into the annual induction programme by the incumbent Head of the Department, Dr. (Mrs.) Tosin Tume. The innovations made this year’s edition receive more admirable comments and eulogies from all and sundry.
Mr. Ropo Ewenla – a renowned stage and screen actor who is the Deputy Director of the Media Centre at the University of Ibadan , Oyo State, was assisted by two lecturers of the department, Mr. lsaac Gondo and Mrs. Onyinye Aneke to serve as chief priests and priestess (elders in the profession). They exhorted and blessed the fresh students during the performance.
The University Media Team (UMT) had a brief interview with Dr. Tume and she shed light on the highlights of the programme, excerpts:
UMT: This year’s induction ceremony of fresh students in the department under your headship has been applauded as most creative and dynamic, kindly give us the highlights of the event which make this so ma?
Dr. Tume: Thank you for your question. Like they say, variety is the spice of life. In the past, we usually had a mono-ethnic outlook in our induction performances. That is focusing on projecting the Yoruba culture only. So l thought that we should do something different this year, especially as our University is a federal University that admits students from all parts of Nigeria with various ethnic identities. I thought that having only a Yoruba-themed induction would be monotonous and so l said we should play with the theme, Nigeria. That was why our costumes, make up and accessories were in the colours green-white-green. We also had three elders – two Chief priests and one priestess, each representing the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria; one from the Yoruba culture, the other from Hausa and the third from Igbo culture. The three elders prayed for the students in the three indigenous languages, and we have been receiving very positive feedbacks on the theme and the choice of nationalizing the induction programme.
UMT: The theme of the ceremony is Ojuse, meaning Duty or Responsibility in English. What informed this choice ma?
Dr. Tume: The choice of Ojuse as theme is to underscore the seriousness of the task ahead of the new students . Ojuse means duty, responsibility . We chose that theme to imprint in the minds of freshers that the department of Theatre Arts is not like any other department. It is a professional course that requires discipline, commitment and dedication. It is like a para-military corps because our regimented training is not like what you find in any other department. It is to let them know that once they hear Ojuse, it is about task, it is about the task, duty and responsibility set before them, as well as the discipline which the course requires and demands. And l think we were able to achieve that. We had series of interviews with the students during and after their induction programme and they confessed that they didn’t quite understand the kind of course they were to study until they went through the induction programme, and that now they feel empowered and ready to face the task of being Theatre Artistes.
UMT: To what extent would you say the new students have imbibed the virtues intended through the training given them to realize the production?
Dr. Tume: Oh! I would say that the students imbibed the virtues to a very large extent. They went through that training for 10 weeks and during those weeks they learnt how to wake as early as 5am and be at their rehearsal venues before 7am everyday. They leant to be punctual, respectful, and responsible. They learnt mutual tolerance, respect, and trust. They learnt the basics of theatre practice, and they learnt to work as a team. They excelled in their productions of drama, music and dance. You also saw them on stage… It was exhilarating to see them perform so well. One wouldn’t even believe that they were first year students! They did very well and l am so proud of them. So, l would say that the training really helped them to imbibe the virtues intended and we can only hope for the best for these new crop of students whom we believe will take the department to the next level. We are so so proud of them. The performers did so well. The actors had clarity in diction and articulation. The dancers were fluid, nimble, and graceful. The singers were precise and sonorous. They were simply fantastic!
UMT: What message have you for the inductees?
Dr. Tume: My message for the inductees is that , like l said to them, they have laid a solid foundation, and now they must now painstakingly build a good house. They should not let the glory or fame of their outstanding performance at the induction get into their heads so much that they would forget themselves. They should know that that was just the first step in the right direction. They must be committed to make the remaining steps so that they can have a fruitful completion of their journey in Theatre Arts training at the Department of Theatre and Media Arts , Federal university Oye-Ekiti. They must not forget the lessons learnt, and they must continue in that consciousness. So that when they are in their final year they can look back on their journey, feel proud of themselves, and and also be able to impact on the new students then too. They must sustain and perpetuate the ethics of the theatre. Then they would have earned the right to say “Ah! We were once like you and this was what we learnt so you must also learn it”. This is highly important so that the generations of disciplined Theatre artistes can multiply. Thank you.
