11/10/2025
LET THE CHILDREN COME UNTO ME!
"Allow the children come to me..." Even those who are not Christians know that Jesus Christ is the author of this injunction, which was a response to His disciples who felt that children had no business in His ministry, or coming to disturb Him where old people were busy dealing with "serious issues"In the book of Mark 10: 13-15 Jesus emphasized the importance of children in His ministry and their place in the Kingdom!
I can say without any atom of doubt that I was divinely led to institute the YOUNG AT ART CHILDREN/ TEENAGERS CREATIVE WORKSHOP in 2003!
Sure, it was a response to my own childhood challenges of not having the appropriate support or mentoring from the adults around me then, especially my parents. I was flogged several times for "defacing" the walls with my "yanmayanma" and "jagajaga" drawings.
I was even "deported" from Ibadan back to Owo for "destroying" a freshly plastered new building with my charcoal graffiti on the walls. That was then!
Now, the workshop has been running consistently with different improvements every year for twenty two (22) years. Thanks to all the amazing Facilitators who have been part of the Young At Art team till date. We don't just teach Art in Young At Art, we mentor children and amplify their creative potential!
Through, our programs and workshops, parents now appreciate the gifts and talents of their children and have been supporting them to achieve excellence. No wonder that we can boast of 19 First Class graduates in different disciplines especially in Architecture, Industrial Designs, Visual & Creative Art and the sciences!
As the founder of Young At Art I have had the privilege of meeting and connecting with the parents of the children and some distinguished people in the society. The Young At Art gave me the opportunity to consult for the British Council, Lagos, and later travelled to the UK to go for further training at the University College, London (UCL) in 2014.
I had the privilege of interacting closely with the late Professor Yusuf Grillo who gave me and the children access to his painting studio at his residence on Ogunlowo street, off Obafemi Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos
