Anambra govt partners firm on maiden photography art exhibition

The Anambra Government has partnered with Natesa Consulting, a strategic communication and public relations firm, on photography exhibitions and training youths in the photographic arts.

Chief Don Onyenji, the state commissioner for culture, entertainment, and tourism, said this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Natesa for the first Anambra Photography Exhibition in Awka on Thursday.

Supreme News reports that the theme of the photography exhibition, scheduled for Aug. 31, is “The Forgotten Country.”.

Onyenji said the essence of the exhibition was to showcase photography as a tool for telling a story.

He said there would be a masterclass training session for photography enthusiasts as well as exposure to the economics of photography where they would be taught how to commercialise their works.

According to him, the government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is interested in exploring every aspect of the creative art including photography.

“People are making money in foreign currencies, flying around the world taking pictures.

”Photography is an area within the creative arts that people are making good money from, and we want to see more people tapping into the industry.

“The ‘Forgotten Country’ is a story of the past that has been toldin many ways, but this time it is going to be in pictures. Like professional communicators would say, a picture can tell a thousand stories,” he said.

On her part, Ms. Augusta Nnadi, Co-Founder of Natesa Consulting, said the exhibition, which would be the first in the Southeast, would raise awareness of documentary photography in the region.

Nnadi said it aimed to showcase the creativity of photographers in the Southeast, strengthen the community supporting the photography industry, and establish a system for nurturing new photographers.

She said it would also stimulate conversation and interest in documentary photography, especially as a tool to promote the culture, values, heritage, and potential of the people of the region.

“This photography exhibition under the theme, ‘The Forgotten Country’, will showcase select pieces from artists that stimulate a feeling of nostalgia, recalling the glory of a country that once was.

“The Aug. 31 exhibition will showcase select pieces from partner veterans and rising photographers, covering photos of people, sights, architecture, and other works.

“It will be the first photography exhibition to be held in the Southeast and also a soft launch for Natesa, a strategic communications and public relations operation,” he said.

Nnadi, who revealed that entries had opened on the Natesa website, said the event would offer networking opportunities between young and veteran photographers as well as promote talented work with its PR services.