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In a move to create more opportunity for young creative minds to thrive in Nigeria, the Days of Dorcas photography competition sponsored by GTBank seek to provide platforms for talented female artists to enhance their career in visual arts and photography. The Days of Dorcas Photography competition held last week is part of the Art635 Gallery, a GTBank initiative that was launched to promote African art and culture.
Oyinade Adegbite, head, Communications and External Affairs, GTBank in a statement said the vision of the bank is to provide a platform to empower young people, encourage creative people, and to help them connect.
“Days of Dorcas is about female photographers and we have 213 applications; it is about finding the connection that can help them progress their career. We want to partner with people in the creative space, people who have passion for what they do, and to be able to help them. For us we find it easy creating platforms using events, to help people find the platforms,” said Adegbite.
According to Adegbite, the MD of bank is passionate about giving back as a way of bridging the gap between the have and have not in the society. “Now it is the time for organisations to step-up and give back to the society where they operate,” she stated.
The 213 applicants were shortlisted to 25 by the facilitators before the six days intensive training that involves both theory and practical classes focused on giving the trainees the right exposure to leapfrog their career.
After the six days of training, two winners emerged and will be made to undergo a 12 month internship programme with the facilitators. The internship will be semi-formal and informal while the bank will put some structures in place with full access to all the facilitators and the bank.
Grace Ekpu, who emerges winner of the competition, said it was an exciting moment for her to learn more about photography. “When I got here I was not aware of the fact that my pictures have to tell a story; and I had to make a conscious effort to tell a story with my pictures,” said Ekpu.
Ekpu, a documentary photographer caption her work “Puncture above Weight,” the story of a female boxer in the street of Bariga, a Lagos suburb. She said the facilitators pushed me into taking the particular picture that got her the prize, as she opined that photography has been a passion for her.
SEYI JOHN SALAU
