Cultural And Creative Art

 Every human being has power to create things so that he or she can represent, express and communicate his or her ideas, thoughts, feelings experience and value. Hence, the current freedom of information and speech.

Human beings can express their creativity in music, dance, fine and applied arts and these are collectively called “Cultural and Creative Arts.”

Creative and Cultural Arts are coinages that cover all the disciplines of Arts. Cultural is people’s way of life which involves their language, music, drama, Art, mode of dressing, eating and even their social order. Creative Art is a just and lively image of human nature which reproduces the passions and humors of man which subject is to delight and educate humanity. The word Arts is very broad and all embracing and it is older than man because creativity started with God who created everything through His Power of skill including in His own image. In answering this probing question: when do we say that a nation is developed? A nation can be said to be developed when it is richly industrialized and stable economic system is maintained. It pays attention to the educational system and education of its member since it is the bedrock of development.

According to a scholar “Art is a wheel on which the societal life and activities revolve.” It plays important role in the society’s norms and values, industries, education, religion, economy, homes, policies and entertainment. A play writer uses drama as a medium of social criticism and as an effective instrument of social development as well as creating humor for people to ponder while they relax. So also is a musician and visual artists who usually use their own media  to criticize and educate the society. Some art objects like paintings, vessels and sculptural works are used by some Christians in their places of worship so as to help them focus while meditating. Thus a scholar (Madu) stated that the place of art is like an alligator pepper in the African Medicine”. If an artist should withdraw his services from the society what will be the fate of its members? Tell me what you can do without a good designer who designs your clothes or your house or even your house-hold utensils like plates, spoons, pots etc.

Having said much on the roles of art, music and drama, we can now appreciate the need for Creative and Cultural Arts in the education system for our national development. If you teach a child how to make money and not how to steal from public fund or from individual purse, such a child can be self sustained since he or she has the heart to create or do things for him/herself. For  example, a musician can open up an art studio or music production studio. Where there is need in the society, the artist make their products to meet up the market demands. This will help the nation to improve the socio-economic standard of her people. The economy of the country will be better if there are responsible and skillful people handling important positions of the economic and social affairs of the nation. It has always been my major objective to raise creative minds through teaching of music as a musicologist.

We all have to note therefore that both performing art, music, drama, dance and Applied & fine Arts i.e Cultural and Creative Art is a part and parcel of our nation’s culture and when an individual is taught how to harness his/her potentials early enough through education, the individual is faced with no option than to contribute his/her quota in the society. Art is our cultural heritage. Africans are Artistic in nature; we can’t  but keep the flag flying high.