By OLUSHOLA O. OLAJOBI

THE ARTS & CIVICS TABLE (TACT) ORGANISATION & CARTOONISTS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA UNVEIL #DRAWINGBLOOD CAMPAIGN

One of the major benefits of African arts of this age is its ability in solving and contributing to its immediate environment rather than just an object of aesthetics or functions which they were initially known for.

Government of nations are now seeing the art sector as a means of reaching the soul of their citizens. An important media channel science, scientists or politicians couldn’t penetrate the way art does it.

As a way of expressing some of the views of the Nigerian creative sector, a new campaign was launched by TACT in collaboration with CARTAN to tackle the incessant killings in Nigeria.

According to Mr. Francis Odupute, the campaign media director in a press release presented to Africa Palette;

The organizer of The Nigerian Satire Festival, The Arts & Civics Table (TACT) Organisation, and the Cartoonists Association of Nigeria (CARTAN) have kicked off a cartoon campaign themed “Drawing Blood”, in commemoration of World Press Freedom day on May 3, 2018.

The campaign will deploy blood-red themed cartoon and art as instruments of protest against the violence and bloodshed in different parts of Nigeria. The alarming spate of bloodshed in the country is of grave concern to everyone, with the news media overflowing daily with reports of kidnaps, robbery attacks, violent communal attacks etc., often leading to the loss of precious lives.
The #DrawingBlood campaign is thus a call, to those saddled with the responsibility of maintaining peace and protecting lives, that the dire security situation needs to be urgently addressed.

Over the next six months, and leading up to The Nigerian Satire Festival in November 2018, the #DrawingBlood campaign will promote artists and cartoonists utilizing RED as the main colour theme in their work. The campaign will also feature satirical artworks in other formats.

In addition to publishing these #DrawingBlood cartoons in newspapers, cartoon and art exhibitions will be held at various dates over the campaign period. Dates for the exhibitions will be announced via our social media pages and on http://www.TACTNigeria.org
All cartoonists and other satirists are encouraged to join in this campaign by using the colour RED in their work from today, and by posting their cartoons online and offline using the hashtag #DrawingBlood.

It is our way of saying “We have had enough of bloodshed in Nigeria”.