- STARPLUS is scouting for the best artistic talent among people with disabilities
- A small group of people with disabilities, who had come from different places, including Oyo and Lagos were auditioned at the Dance Room, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan on Saturday, 30th September, 2021
- STARPLUS was conceptualized by OlatunjiYussuf, a disability rights advocate and CEO of Yutex Entertainment, in partnership with Olaojo Arts and Gallery
- Their main goal is to produce a theatrical platform for People with Disabilities where the population has the opportunity to demonstrate their artistic potentials, skillsets and talents
- Individual artiste with disability was auditioned on Saturday to see their potential capabilities, including the role an individual can fit in the eventual production.
- Disabled artistes will be trained on Dance Art, Drum Art, Drama, including Drama, and Music
- Final content production featuring musicians, singers, and dancers with disabilities is expected to take place sometimes in December 2021
A group of talents-hunting brand in and outside of the disability community in Nigeria is scouting for artistes with disabilities who have creative potentials. The group—YUTEX Entertainment, a disability-centric motivational professional outfit, and OLaojo Arts and Galary—was hard at work on Saturday, 30th October communicating and interacting with creative people with disabilities.
The interaction was meant to determine individual potentials and skillsets, and then develop appropriate roles for eventual contention creation.
No fewer than a 6-7 artistes with disabilities auditioned for the role which is planned to hold later in December, 2021.
“There are several people with disabilities in the community with huge artistic potentials but lack the opportunity to develop this raw talents into something professionally and economically worthwhile, said Mr. Olatunji Raheem, a well known disability leader in Nigeria.
Asking the Partner Arts organization of what he hoped to accomplished, “Today is just for Auditioning. We do want to have an idea of the quality of music and dance potentials in these individuals, and the role they can fit in the production. We are just checking them out to know the best of their abilities.” He maintained.
While Mr. Tunji, a wheelchair-bound entertainer had conceptualized this initiative, the CEO of the Olaijo Arts, Mr. Augustine will be directing and finetuning the technical aspect of this production
Asked how the whole audios thing had gone, “I wasn’t expecting any perfection or too much excellent showcase. I only wanted to know the threshold of their abilities, especially when it comes to delivery. Because it is a variety show we are putting together and there will be many side attractions aside from the major command performance.”
An impressive turns of moves were witnessed at this audition held at the University of Ibadan on Saturday. Raheem noted, “I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from these amazing people. In fact I was wowed particularly by two of those artistes that came.”
One musician, Adekunle Adesanya with a single upper limb had travelled from Lagos and the other, Abdullahi Yusuf from Oyo. “I know by the time we start the whole creation, we are going to have an beguiling production.” He added.