INTRODUCTION

The effective organization of the experiences, skills, powers and tendencies of the candidate is the first condition for the development and growth of the Subject Fine and Applied Arts (FAA), not only as an intellectual discipline worthy of study, but also as an artisanal subject worthy of study for the practical skills of the do- it- yourself candidate. The purposes of the curriculum on the subject, therefore, are twofold:

1. The development of the individual candidate’s experiences, skills. tendencies and powers for the fulfillment of their creative powers and will.

2. To develop the skills, tendencies and powers of the candidates so that they may achieve developments of their powers for use as effective creative skills that would contribute to the development and growth of their immediate constituency, Rivers State and Nigeria as a country. That development and growth would be channeled for state and national development through the paradigm of technological development and aesthetic inducement. Visual art is at the heart of that discourse.

It is the creative and skilled artist that is the subject matter, Fine and Applied Arts, which is at the centre of the building block of the nation’s economy through training for full time practice. For all intents and purposes in a “candidate centered” school system, the highly skilled Artist is indispensible partners for the creative needs of the society. This caliber of artist and workforce is also indispensible for the acquisition of the practical skills that may offer opportunities for the child’s growth and development in a postmodern world. This University amply makes provision for this condition. The goals of the Curriculum of study that is in this Hand Book (HB) proffers in the Fine and Applied Arts Department (FAA) is summarized as follows:

Provide the candidate with:

• Appropriate skills and technological proficiency that are needed for self-development and national growth
• The effective translation of creative design to finished products
• The need to upgrade the level of aesthetics and cultural awareness in the candidates, and
• Guide the eventual development andgrowth of the candidates” effective use of their creative skills, tendencies and powers to, not only, enhance the quality of his art world: but in the long term add a fresh breath to the quality of living!

The outlook expressed by the foregoing view of the long term goal of higher institution art training draws attention to the priority alluded to the place of the practicing Artist and others (as principal partners) in the paradigm shift in the curricula of higher institution for Visual arts. The choice of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) to choose the caliber of academic staff in the department of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) is informed by that regime. Hence, the curriculum expressed in this Hand Book reflects the on-going changes in the art world, and the demands of the new knowledge transfer. Long held aesthetic principles and deliberate euro-centralisms in the curricula are reviewed to more Africa based and internationally needed curricula. The curriculum expressed in this Hand Book reflects the on-going changes in the art world, and the demands of the new knowledge transfer. As the candidate grows in the study of art in the IAUE, he/she is made to look beyond the mere purpose of making art for palsy money making. Instead they are made by dint of the curriculum of study to engage art in the pursuit of knowledge through study, practice and research. It is, therefore, significant to note that the often fascinating ways of talking and critiquing finished art works be important to research; and the growth and development of the Studio product. That “talking and critiquing” of art works opens up new vistas for the candidate. One such vista is the creative development of art materials through the use of simple commonplace and local materials. This is the creative turn that the curriculum in this Hand Book reflects!

PHILOSOPHY OF THE DEPARTMENT

General Philosophy

The philosophy of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts includes:

• With the new interest in creative education to facilitate micro and macro-economic growth in the life of a nation.
• The Fine and Applied Arts Department has the responsibilities to key into these national objectives and explore means to equip citizens with creative skills, stimulate and nurture creativity in order to advance national development.
• This shall be done through the teacher; who is endowed with natural creative skills or struggling to attain creative potentials for self-reliance in the artistic and professional point of view and balanced academics; knowing that, every child needs the arts to develop creativity that will be tapped in any chosen profession.

OBJECTIVES:

• To equip graduate art teachers with the right attitude to function competently in the classroom and in the studio or order to discharge their duties.
• To train teachers, equip them with basic knowledge of various stages of child arts’ developments and its utility in the classrooms / studio.
• To train artist teachers to cultivate right attitude capable of motivating their students and others to cultivate interest and aptitude for the visual arts.
• To train and prepare the graduates to acquire skills and gain professional competence in practical arts to create job for themselves and others.
• To provide sound academic background that will foster further academic and professional progression of the Artist teacher.
• To equip student artist’s teachers, the ability to design, establish, manage school studio effectively and others.
• To equip students, artists and teachers the knowledge of curating, mounting exhibition within the school system and after graduation, as well as manage arts business.
• To provide facilities and encourage students to utilize them for productive living.
• To establish required courses to assist sister departments to aid full realization of their professional competence, and make and encourage students in the department to take courses in music and drama function appropriately in the class where any or two the component teacher (s) are not available to teach creative arts in the senior secondary schools.
• To train graduates who will have sound moral background, educationally efficient without religious and culturally biased.
• To equip students with basic research technique and encourage them to carry out arts research in the Niger Delta.
• To bridge the gap between the B.A (Fine and Applied Arts) and B.Ed (Fine and Applied Arts)

HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Department was established in 1978 with initial staff strength of Three (3) Lecturers and a students’ population of six (6) Candidates for the Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) programme. However, with an increase in student population, the staff strength increased to thirteen (13) and non-academic staff strength of four (4) was added. The department trained NCE teachers in the following categories:

1. Fine Arts/English Language
2. Fine Arts/History
3. Fine Arts/Christian Religious Studies
4. Fine Arts/French
5. Fine Arts/Geography

In 1982, the first set of Bachelor of Education students in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) were admitted and graduated in 1984. Throughout this period, the department at the B.Ed, level serviced the general course, ‘Basics of Arts. The course was designed to introduce general concepts of Fine and Applied Arts, their elements, principles and some basic forms of Art History and Art appreciation to non-Arts students. But this course was stop
ped in 2004 and yet to be continued.

In 2010, the Rivers State College of Education was by law upgraded to the status of a full-fledged University and was in initially named Rivers State University of Education, Rumuolumeni, P. M. B. 5047, Port Harcourt. The Visitor further changed Institution to Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (I.A.U.E) in honour of the last chairman of the governing council of the College. Meanwhile, the Department of Fine and Applied Arts has also enlarged its Degree course contents. The Department of Fine and Applied Arts now has in addition to its specializations of Studio disciplines of Painting, Graphic Design, Ceramics, Sculpture and Textile. Design with their studios. Studio attendants, male and female models are also at the service of the various units. The academic staff strength has improved in status and number up to 20 and we now have a Professor as the Head of Department.

Few of these staff are engaged in post graduate studies at either the Master or PhD levels. In addition, there are three Professors, a Reader and several other lecturers on the Department Staff list.

As a safeguard to guaranteeing standardization and the improvement of quality, for example, all examination results are subjected to both internal and external moderation. The Bachelor of Arts in Education degree (BA. Ed.) was upgraded with the addition of a mandatory requirement for all final year students: Internship for Teaching Practice (T.P.) and Industrial Training (I.T.) (for a period of six (6) months). The Department of Fine and Applied Arts now offers five study disciplines, namely Sculpture, Textile Design, Painting, Ceramics and Graphic Design.

The Bachelor of Arts degree shall be issued to students who successfully completed the four (4) year intensive course of study and the Mandatory Internships, Industrial Training (I.T.).