Abstract

This study focuses on the education and work of indigenous Sierra Leonean visual artists. It examines the traditional artistic training processes, the nature of the artists' work, the place of the artists in their communities and their contributions to our national development. In order to address these four issues, answers to the following questions were sought: In what ways have traditional educational processes contributed to the education of our artists in Sierra Leone? How important is the input of ethnic associations to the process of education? Is the quality of the education offered to trainees compatible with their roles in the community? How or why do some of these traditionally trained artists shift their production emphasis from ritual objects to tourist art? This study also evaluates the development of different educational/training institutions within the context of Sierra Leone's colonial history. It also examines how the changes in the country's educational system have influenced the position and status of indigenous artists and their training processes. The study is based largely on data collected through in-depth interviews conducted with twelve indigenous Sierra Leonean artists, (seven male and five female). Also, it relies on relevant literature on "traditional" African education, as well as secondary literature on education and the training of artists generally. This study suggests that traditional artistic education makes an important contribution to national development. Traditional artistic education clearly contributes to a vibrant social life as well as about 2 Million US Dollars annually to the national economy. Likewise, traditional artistic education helps to shape popular culture and national identity. Findings from this study suggest that the Sierra Leone government should support the development of indigenous artistic training processes, and that use be made of the artists and their work to elevate the national ethos of our country. Most importantly, this research suggests that youths be given the opportunity to participate in traditional art activities. Such involvement will be meaningful and useful to our youth, especially considering the interrelation of art and other subjects in the school curriculum.