DEAR CREATIVES BRINGS INDUSTRY VOICES TO OOU

 

By Lateefah Shittu, Faruq Olaegbe 

Creatives at Olabisi Onabanjo University received practical tools and industry insights on Wednesday, at the Dear Creatives: A letter to creatives event, which was held at the Mass Communication Building's Seminar Room and was hosted by Adeyemi Progress.

The event, themed “The Story Tellers,” was designed to raise a new generation of creative storytellers who are not only talented but also strategic in their craft. The event featured six speakers, namely Ilesanmi Ayomide, Progress Giwa, Anthony Taiwo, Moses Ayodele, Adams Confidence, and Ogunnubi John, popularly known as Olootu

The first speaker, Progress Giwa, a visual artist, spoke on the meaning of the word “CREATIVES,” explaining each letter as a principle for growth in the creative industry. He stated that the letter “C” stands for Creator, stressing that creatives are expected to create value, letter “R” represents being real with oneself and taking risks. “The gap between where you are and where you want to be is the knowledge gap,” he said, also stressing the importance of collaboration.

He further described “E” as Excellence, “A” as Action, “T” as Time, “I” as Intelligence and Impact, “V” as Vision and Visibility, another “E” as Exposure and Expression, while “S” stands for Seek Mentorship. He advised creatives to value time and seek mentors who would guide them through different stages of life, ending his session by encouraging participants to declare, “I will fail, but I will fail forward.”

The event also featured a fireside chat session on creative mental health, moderated by Balogun Boluwatife, with Anthony Taiwo, a visual artist and YouTuber, as the speaker. Following the session, a spoken word performance was delivered by Giwa House of God. 

Another speaker, Ilesanmi Ayomide, official videographer to the Governor of Ogun State, shared his journey in the creative space. He explained that he began by designing graphics and making videos for his church while in school, stressing the importance of collaboration and partnerships in building a creative career. “Be creative and someone who thinks outside the box,” he advised, after which Vera’s Voice entertained the audience with a spoken word presentation. 

The host, later addressed the audience before the panel session, which featured Moses Ayodele, CEO of Phoenix Studio, Progress Giwa, Ilesanmi Ayomide, Adeyemi Progress and Balogun Boluwatife as the moderator. 

A practical session followed, handled by Ogunnubi John, who invited three member of the audience to play the roles of a videographer, director, and actor in creating a short film. The video was then used to teach the audience how to edit using CapCut, after which John concluded the session by reading a letter to the creatives present. Adams Confidence, the final speaker also delivered a letter to the audience. 

Although the spoken word competition scheduled for the event was cancelled, contestants were compensated with ₦10,000 each. Participants were equipped with practical insights on how to use their creative skills effectively, turn their talents into income, protect their mental health, and position themselves for opportunities in the creative industry.