Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
Director-General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe has advocated the use of culture as a therapy against COVID-19 pandemic.
He stated that theatre, music, dance drama and songs which are elements of our culture could provide the necessary balm to speed up the healing of COVID-19 patients.
While stressing the potency of culture to address all human challenges, he said that culture is the totality of the ways of life of a people and therefore could be employed to solve all human problems.
He noted that the same way Medical Doctors use theatre as a place to heal the sick, and artistes use the theatre to educate and entertain, culture is a theatre of the mind and soul.
According to him, when a body, mind or spirit suffers challenges, culture could be a tool for resolving such challenges.
Runsewe noted that there is a global health challenge today arising from the outbreak of COVID-19.
He said that to address this health challenge, we require a combination of medical solution and Cultural Therapy.
He recalled that when King Saul in the Bible suffered serious medical condition, he solicited the services of David whose musical instrument, the harp brought him to normalcy each time he was tormented by evil spirit.
He said that in like manner, the Lagos State Government recently staged a musical concert at the isolation centre for people with COVID-19.
The NCAC boss disclosed that in addition to all the Council is doing to assist in the fight against Covid-19, it will soon stage a programme titled Cultural Therapy in the Midst of COVID-19.
He explained that in compliance with social distancing regulation, it will be a “drive in theatre” where audience will sit inside their vehicles and watch 8 man cast perform live on stage.
The programme, apart from serving to entertain the audience, would also target the four areas of the treatment of therapy which are behavioural, cognitive, humanistic and holistic.
Runsewe stated that the world now needs a cultural re-armament to reboot the global pulse brought about by COVID-19.
He added that COVID-19 should not be seen as a problem requiring a solution but a challenge calling on the world to think creatively on how to respond to emerging issues in the world.
“We must all begin to think outside the box to deploy our knowledge and special skills to fight the challenges of our time,” Runsewe added.
