Taiwo Oloyede is a poet, spoken word artist, producer, scriptwriter, and the founder of Lagos Poetrython Academy, an oratory development training institute.
Taiwo was inspired to build a community for Nigerian creatives through his Poetrython Academy out of a personal desire to promote arts in its most agile form.
“I was inspired by my desire to have a community where creatives and other performing acts can dialogue, share stories of divergent themes and hold honest conversations about the socio-political cum economic trends in the society,” he says.
“Also, to promote arts in its most agile form and create an ambiance that would foster unity amongst creatives and a level playing ground for young creatives where they can bond and take on projects based on available opportunities under the auspices of experienced mentors and other established acts,” he adds.
Since its inception, the academy has adopted both online and offline to equip participants with the required resources that will enable them to birth their ideas and build their brands.
Today the academy has participants from Ghana, South Africa, Canada, United Kingdom, and Norway among others.
“The academy has grown beyond the time of inception; we have a swelling number of participants from Ghana, South Africa, Canada, United Kingdom, and Norway to mention but a few,” he says.
“The participants are tasked to replicate something of the same nature in their own countries too, to enable them to own their space and perhaps have an exchange program when they are fully grown and have mustered the capacity to host people from other nations,” he further says.
Speaking on how the Academy was impacted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he says it prevented them from running their onsite Master Class but notes that the school was able to quickly switch to online classes.
He states that the online classes have been tedious for those in areas with poor network connections.
“During the periods of the lockdown, we were able to connect participants to writings gigs and competitions where they can exchange their skills for value,” the young entrepreneur says.
He says the Nigerian creative industry is obtuse and largely biased towards certain interest groups of easy stardom based on numbers.
“It lacks structure and direction and plan. The government needs to be intentional about the creative industry and make available grants which can be accessed by anyone based on reasonable criteria without connections or a group of vultures just furnishing their selfish ambition with what is supposed to be a commonwealth,” he explains.
He urges the government to sponsor individuals overseas to get first-hand experience on how it is being managed.
“Every operator in that space must be seen to be of a social or economic value and a harbinger of eclectic resonance to the creative space. The creative industry is still a mythical wipe of fanfares and a circus of riotous simpletons driven more by superfluities than legacy and hybrid sustainable development plan for the creative economy,” he says.
He notes that the low patronage of artworks, books, souvenirs, and materials of creatives among Nigerians remains the biggest challenge to the industry.
He calls on the government to set up strategic endowment funds for people with special talents and should create a department for documenting creative inputs and outputs as well as a serial identification number for tracking the economic pull of such input.
Similarly, he says more art centres should be opened across various local governments to promote the creative industry.
On his advice to young poets, he says “stay on the grind. No excuses. Sweat rules over inspiration. Keep honing your craft and stay diligent at the threshing floor; someday, you will receive beauty for ashes – and let hope rise in you like dust.”
“Stay clean, say no to drugs. Dream outrageous dreams for they are the seedlings of your greatness. Row your boat and wait on no handouts. Awake your volcano. Prosper beyond measure. Then follow @lagospoetrython across platforms,” he adds.
