A project by: Precious Oyelade
I’m raising £8000 to create the academic bridge between second generation British Nigerians and the growing Nigerian film industry which will shape a new narrative surrounding the cultural products coming into and out of multi-cultural Britain.
I’ve been offered the opportunity of my dreams to study Nollywood and the Black Nigerian Diaspora via African Studies at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) and I need your help to do it. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge, which I never thought would be possible. Many will remember my story from this time last year when news that I received a starred First Class for my final year thesis on Nollywood and the experience of second -generation British Nigerians went viral. Due to the widespread recognition and support I received as a result of this topic and grade, my academic aspirations were confirmed. I want academia to reflect the voices and experiences of this generation, and this Masters is my next step.
I want to pioneer the academic bridge between two cultures whose relationship is yet to be explored. I want to create a bridge between the study of second-generation Nigerian diasporans and the study of Nollywood. More specifically, I aim to study the cultural products that are entering into popular culture, enriching its diversity and re-shaping the diasporic narrative here in the UK.
Not only is SOAS the world’s leading institution for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, I will have the honour and the privilege to study under the West African convenor Dr Akin Oyètádé, who specialises in Yorùbá in the diaspora. What in particular excites me about this area of study is how second-generation British Nigerians come of age and understand their relationship to an ever-evolving sub-Saharan African identity. By taking the time to understand how young diasporans relate to the various representations of identity in Nollywood films, we can uncover something about British and Nigerian society and the power of increasingly popular media forms.
With Higher Education in the United Kingdom indebting students more than any other students in the wold (according to the Sutton Trust), your contribution is the difference between debt and a dream.
SOAS has given me an unconditional offer, however tuition fees alone are £7985. All costs considered I will need to raise around £12,000 in order to fund my year. In addition to working over the summer, including freelance writing about Nollywood, from July to August 2016 I am attempting to raise £8,000 to fund the first step of my NollyBridge journey.
I also have some amazing REWARDS for those who choose to help me on my journey, check them out!
When news of my thesis broke, the praise and support from creatives, filmmakers and students was overwhelming. Many thanked me for reinvigorating the exploration in an are which receives limited funding and attention; I think we’re just getting started.
By investing in me, you will be investing in the expansion of a narrative within academia that can only serve to benefit the melting pot that is Britain. You will be helping to create a window into British Nigerian diasporic culture, a bridge from one aspect of culture to another, one art form at a time.
My education has been an investment for me thus far. However my next degree I am seeking to serve a purpose much larger than my own future. The manuscript of my thesis is currently under review by the Journal of African Cultural Studies and your donation is the difference between one study of young Black Brits and how they relate to their heritage, and the beginning of a new school of thought, putting the voice of Black British African youth at its centre.
So whether you make a financial contribution or share the link with the #NollyBridge, I would very much value your support!
Let’s make a difference and shape a narrative #NollyBridge.