Training young screenwriters in Nollywood: LAFAAAC, in partnership with La Fémis and with the support of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is launching an ambitious and innovative training program.
Ensuring the upskilling of professionals in the creative industries in Africa: this is the challenge taken up by LAFAAAC, a young French start-up launched in 2017. To this end, it offers innovative training courses that combine mobile, distance, and face-to-face learning on its digital platform, and relies on partners in France and Africa to build an inclusive offering tailored to local needs.
The African continent is poised to become the next hub for cultural industries, a hotbed of young creators. This promising sector is crystallizing around Nollywood, a global giant in audiovisual and film production, which announced in February the production of Netflix's first original Nigerian series. However, the growth and influence of African creativity are still hampered by limited training opportunities. And, on a national scale, there are still few French audiovisual players present in Nigeria.
In light of this, Nigeria is one of 37 countries for which the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) considers the CCI to be a priority due to the strong development and export potential for French cultural sectors in this country. It has therefore entrusted the French Embassy in Nigeria with the implementation of a Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects called "Cultural and Creative Industries: a new challenge for Development and Influence in Nigeria" (FSPI-ICCDIN). It consists of three components: (1) Identifying and supporting the development of innovative projects in three sectors (video games, animation, and virtual reality); (2) Exporting French training content tailored to the needs of Nigerian audiovisual professionals; (3) Preserving and promoting archaeological and archival heritage through CCIs. In particular, the second component aims to have LAFAAAC launch a new training program on the fundamentals of serial dramaturgy for future young Nigerian screenwriters. La Fémis, through its "TV Series" department, is a partner in the project, contributing to its overall educational design.
At the end of this project, in spring 2021, LAFAAAC will thus offer a comprehensive, blended training course on the fundamentals of TV series screenwriting. The training will combine various complementary teaching methods: mobile courses, masterclasses, tutorials led by virtual classes, and practical face-to-face workshops, all developed with recognized experts to offer the best of each tool. Among these professionals is the Nigerian group Wazobia, a leader in radio and television with which LAFAAAC partnered in 2019, which will help adapt the program to the specific needs of Nigeria.
For Francois Catala, co-founder of LAFAAAC and director of education and partnerships, "the strength of our project lies in combining the best of French educational training with the practices of Nigerian professionals, all accelerated by the power of digital technology. LAFAAAC is proud to collaborate with La Fémis and the Ministry to contribute to the influence of French expertise for the benefit of young Nigerian creatives."
For Rafaël Pont, Cooperation and Cultural Action Advisor at the French Embassy in Nigeria, "Our support for LAFAAAC is part of the implementation of the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects dedicated to the development of Cultural and Creative Industries in Nigeria. It has been entrusted to us for a period of two years (2020-21) and responds to a priority of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Its objective is to stimulate cultural entrepreneurship in Nigeria and to strengthen capacities and governance policies in the audiovisual, interactive media, and cultural heritage sectors.
" Press release