Togo: The Higher School of Performing Arts (ESAS) welcomes its first class of students
The very first academic year of the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Spectacle (ESAS) took place on January 6, 2023, at the school's headquarters. Students, teachers, other staff members of this school, government representatives, and the media are present at this event.
In several countries around the world and in Africa, artists receive professional training in art schools. In Togo, however, most artists learn on the job. Some of them thus find themselves in difficulty when they find themselves abroad. In reality, when confronted with professionals in the field, Togolese artists who have not received professional training expose their shortcomings to the world.
These and other observations led the organizer of the International Festival of Theater and Plastic Arts (FITAP) and her colleagues to establish an arts school in Togo. It is therefore the desire to strengthen the competitiveness of Togolese artists that explains the establishment of such an initiative. " Despite the significant level of Togolese artists and cultural actors, there is still something they lack ," believes Ms. Constance TOGBONOU, Director of FITAP-ESAS.
For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Culture, Mr. KPAYE, recalled the economic importance of culture and art for a country. " If Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Nigeria are today culturally better known nations, it is because structures such as ESAS exist in these countries. These structures are responsible for promoting culture and the arts ," said Mr. KPAYE.
Given all of the above, ESAS's ambitions don't seem overly ambitious, and on the contrary, deserve unwavering support. For this first intake, ESAS welcomes 25 students who will spend between 3 and 4 years there, allowing them to develop a wide range of skills. Furthermore, the School also aims to create a performance hall that will host the performing arts, visual arts, and digital arts starting next year.
Djamiou ABOUDOU
