Funmi Lawrence
Showcasing the Activists of God’s Excellence (STAGE), a religious based programme is set to hold its annual music and art festival aimed at focusing on positive impact of the upcoming generation.
Dr Andy Osakwe, Executive Director and Convener of STAGE at a news conference in Abuja said the festival was an active engagement of the minds of youth population to take action and transform their consciousness.
According to him, with the present morally bankrupt situation in our society, we are gradually in a descent into chaos.
” Nigeria today has a youth population confronted with so many vices ranging from youth restiveness, human trafficking, drug abuse and addiction, sexual immorality, cultism, robbery.
” Violence, thuggery, inordinate ambition, sexual abuse, prostitution, indecent dressing, pocket picking, drug, corruption, hooliganism, gambling, yahoo yahoo, the list is endless.
“The engagement of STAGE is through the availment of platforms that encourage the expressions of their inherent creative gifting and abilities.
” Studies have shown how acutely youths are impacted by the music they listen to and the popular culture that is predominant in their locale,” he said.
Osakwe noted that music had been seen as a channel which have the power to culturally, morally and emotionally influence the society.
He, therefore, said that the initiative was aimed at addressing the need of engaging the young people by helping them optimise their inherent creative cravings.
He added that it had also created a platform for various forms of artistic expressions, delivering family oriented, moral and character building of the young ones.
He said the annual programme would feature over 6,000 live attendees saying that three finalists would emerge and a pool of prizes totalling N2.5 million including career advancement packages would be given.
Meanwhile, Mr Bashorun Aderoju, Chairman, Planning Committee said the 2019 audition which stated in July across three states earmarked about 30 participants.
Aderoju added that through the various auditions, the participants had been sieved while those who were successful would be at the final Programme on November 29.
He said since the inception of the initiative since 2013, it had so far awarded prizes to 15 winners who have now been exposed to their chosen career in the STAGE academy.
He, therefore, added that in three years time and with the yielding results from the programme, STAGE alumni would be leading the entertainment industry of the country.
He, however, welcomed sponsorship of the programme saying that the project was funded by the givings of some anonymous partner as more sponsorship would take STAGE to its greater height.
