By Davis Iheamnachor

PORT  HARCOURT: The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, has called on Nigeria to imbibe the culture of live theatre performance.

Ajienka said theatre would aid the on-going fight against corruption, stating that theatre can help in the development of a crime and corrupt-free society.

Ajienka stated this recently at the Crab Theatre Centre of the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, University of Port Harcourt, during an event to mark the 2017 World’s Theatre Day tagged, ‘Performance and Performer in a Dwindling Culture.’

He noted that the task at hand would be on how to mobilize the society for the theatre, adding that good stories that would impact positively on people are written and performed daily.

The don criticized the annual African Movie Academy award organised by the Bayelsa State Government, stressing that if the money spent on the programme would be channeled into theatre production,many jobs would be created.

Ajienka said: “Theatre work is not vibrant as it uses to be in terms of attendance. There are good writers and good plays. Good stories are being written every day. The concern now is how to get people to come and watch them. We need to reflect on how best we can mobilize our society for the theatre.

“Theatre can turn around the creative economy of the country and the state. If the money they spend on AMA award is spent on films it will go a long way to the development theatre. We need to invest in the creative economy. It can create job and wealth. Theatre mirrors the society to show that some attitudes are not good and instruct the society on ways to go.

Meanwhile, Prof. Julie Umukoro, lecturer in the Department of Film Studies UNIPORT, who was the coordinator of the Theatre Day in the state advocated for the creation of Theatre Arts Department in all institutions in the nation.

Umukoro said that theatre creates a balanced and stress free environment, and that it helps students build ethics of culture and civilization.

She said: “Theatre is part of us, so everybody must find themselves in a piece of play. We build the society through theatre.

“Any university that has this department has a way it sees life. So if there is any university that does not have theatre arts department, they should do so. Theatre gives a stress-free environment. It creates a world that spurs the mind to think of a better living.”

However, the guest lecturer, Mr. Adiela Onyedibia, said live theatre can help in stabilizing the cultures of the country.

Adiela, who noted that the culture of theatre arts pictures the society said“Theatre performance can affect us for better if we think deeply and sustain its practice.”