On September 14th, 2024, the School of Art, Music, and Drama of the University of Juba launched the SAMD Forum. This Forum came about as a result of inadequacy or little knowledge about South Sudan’s creative and cultural industry, styles, professionals, pioneers of each field, and history of creativity due to a lack of literature materials and documentation on the history of music, drama, and art in South Sudan. The Launch was attended by Professor Robert Mayom Deng, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, Professor Isaac Cleto Rial, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Justo Wani Jada, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Dr. Adam Cholong, Dean, Deanship of Students Affairs, Dr. Justin Billy, Dean of School of Art, Music and Drama, Mr. Michael Nasr Omari, Deputy Dean of School of Art, Music and Drama, staff and students of SAMD.
The School of Art, Music, and Drama (SAMD) Forum started in November 2023 with a series of lectures on the Modern History of South Sudan Theatre by pioneers who started the industry in the early 1970s up to the late 1990s. The weekly Art Exhibition will continue for eight months as part of the forum, indicating lectures on Fine and Applied Art in South Sudan.
The objectives of SAMD Forum include:
- Promote the contribution of visual art about peace and nation-building projects that are running high in this country.
- Make known the Department of Fine Art as the active wing of the school.
- Engage more South Sudanese artists to visit the school and be able to participate fully in sharing their long experience of creativity.
- Establish a way of self-supporting and self-reliance in enlarging the scope of training and teaching Fine Arts.
- Raise awareness of the importance of the construction of Art-Gallery at the school for constant art shows at the university.
- Help buy and avail art materials that Fine Art needs especially during the academic year.
- Assist with the use of local funding to improve the standards of our studio and offices at the school.
- Availability and accessibility of materials on South Sudan Culture and creative industry.
With the launch of the SAMD Forum-Art Exhibition, SAMD would be able to enhance knowledge sharing, the value of creative art as a soft power to introduce change and transform communities, and inform on the role of cultural diversity as a source of bridging, crossing boundaries and creating dialogue.