Leading global stationery brand BIC® has launched the BIC® Junior Art Master Challenge for students in basic schools to allow them showcase their creativity while honing their artistic talents.
The competition which is under the theme “My COVID-19 Experience” is designed to provide an avenue for pupils from selected schools to artistically express their COVID-19 experiences.
Speaking at the launch of the challenge at the Penfield School, Oyarifa, Mr Leonard Ehouabolet, Senior Marketing Manager, BIC® West and Central Africa said his outfit believed art played an important role in society, and for this reason, the brand had for the past 40 years been a leading advocate and supporter of the art industry, providing platforms for artists around the world, to creatively express their inspirations, through the creation of various art forms, including portraits, designs, and sculptures.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to depart from the regular schools’ activations which attract large gatherings and instead rolled out such an innovative and thought-stimulating activity to effectively engage with our core publics,” he added.
According to him, Africa was blessed with a lot of talent in the field of art but to make giant strides and become competitive on the global stage, there was the need for the continent to consciously create avenues that nurtured talent and add great value to artistic ability.
Mr Ehouabolet noted that art played a significant role in the life and development of a child such as their communication, problem-solving, social, emotional and fine motor skills as well as self-expression and creativity.
And as such, their involvement in the BIC® Junior Art Master Challenge would give them a much-needed boost in their development.
“Though art may seem like a fun engagement for many, it is significant in helping to expand the child’s ability to interact with the world around them and providing a new set of skills for self-expression and communication cannot be understated,” he further stated.
On modalities for the competition, Mr George Nkorsah, BIC®Business Development Manager for Ghana-Cameroon cluster revealed that, to ensure fair participation, participants had been grouped into the junior category which comprise pupils from classes 3 to 5 and the senior category from classes 6 to JHS 3.
Participants will be required to artistically express their COVID-19 experience with the BIC® stationery on an art paper provided by the organisers without any professional help from guardians or a professional.
Valid entries will be reviewed and scored by a judging panel led by the renowned Ghanaian artist and sculptor Enam Bosokah with the first-placed pupil from each category going into the grand finale at the National Theatre.
Winners will be rewarded with educational scholarship and products from BIC®.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
