BIOGRAPHY
Jamal Adepoju Apena is a Lecturer 1 in the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) Oto-Ijanikin with a Campus at Odo-Noforija, He equally doubles as the Head of the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts of School of Arts and Social Sciences, in the Legacy College at Noforija-Epe, Lagos State. Jamal Caleb Adepoju is a native of Okun Owa Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State and was born on 12th April 1973. He had his primary and secondary school education at Saint Barnabas Anglican Primary School ( 1984) and Okun Owa Comprehensive High School (also known as Okun Owa Multilateral Grammar School), 1990 before going to Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State for his N.C.E. in Yoruba and History in 1995. He graduated with a second-class upper division in the B.A Theatre Arts programme of the University of Ibadan in 2002. His B.A. project topic was “Theatre therapy: its relevance to the prevention and treatment of mental illness; a case study of Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Aro Abeokuta, Ogun state” He has a Master’s degree in the same programme from the same university in 2005 with his dissertation entitled “The problem of maternal mortality and the intervention of theatre for development at Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo state”. The landmark recorded in the former project which was financially empowered by UNICEF with the support of his supervisors and the departments drew the attention of UNICEF again and extended the same financial gesture for his Masters’ project. Based on this, he had represented the department in a couple of UNICEF seminars and workshop sharing his experiences on the two field projects. He is presently on his PhD program at the Lagos state University, Ojo, Lagos-state on Drama as a Therapy: An example of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos state ( Yaba Left).
Jamal has directed, stage managed, coordinated and participated in various drama productions for stage and screen. He was Ropo/Stage manager in Kola Ogunmola’s Palm wine Drinkard, Oyomesi/Stage manager in Duro Ladipo’s Obakoso, Leper/Orunmila in Femi Osofisan’s Esu and the Vagabond minstrels, Baba ibeji in Femi Osofisan’s Twingle Twangle A Twyning Tayle, etc. Jamal has worked with great directors like Dapo Adelugba, Femi Osofisan, Bayo Oduneye, Chuck Mike, Niji Akanni, Tunde Awosanmi, Yemi Akintokun, Seyi Ogungbesan, Tope Idowu, etc. In the film industry, Jamal has played Obaaro in Muyiwa Ademola’s Akinkanju, Ajisefinni in Muyiwa Ademola’s Jide-Jamal, Dapo in Razak Olayiwola’s Bi Mo Ba Jolorun, Production Manager of Bayo Alawiye’s Ija Okan and Ala Mi , Babalawo in Muyiwa Ademola’s Alapadupe,Baba awo in Adebayo Tijani;s Korikoto, Doctor and Architect in Tunji Bamishigbin’s Kamson and Neighbour, Bala in Tobi Awosoga’s Eesu (Nemesis), etc.
As a two-time UNICEF sponsored-project beneficiary, he has also worked with other NGOs like USAID/OTI, CENPED, JDPC, etc in many Community Theatre/Theatre for Development projects touching vital contemporary issues on health and communal conflicts. He was a drama tutor in Atlantic Hall, Epe Lagos state (a co-educational international school) where he designed a drama curriculum for the School. He has attended national and international workshops and conferences as well as written papers for publications. He also has to his credit over 15 published books on Cultural and Creative Arts ( with a bias in Drama ) for Junior Secondary Schools (based on the new Nigerian Universal Basic Education Syllabus) as well as post-Secondary Schools institutions. He is married with children.
i. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 7 WORKBOOK, Ibadan Sea Publishers. ISBN: 978-978-927-875-6.
ii. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 8 WORKBOOK, Ibadan Sea Publishers. ISBN:978-978-927-875-6.
iii. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. &Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 9 WORKBOOK, Ibadan Sea Publishers. ISBN:978-978-927-875-6.
iv. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 7, Ibadan Sea Publishers.ISBN: 978-66753-0-6.
v. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 8, Ibadan Sea Publishers.ISBN:978-66753-0-6
vi. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2019) Creative Arts, Crafts, Custom and Traditions in Nigeria Basic 9, Ibadan Sea Publishers.ISBN: 978-66753-0-6.
vii. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. and Suluka, A.(2017) CCA Examination Data -Bank, Ibadan Sea Publishers. ISBN 978-978-927-874-9 .
viii. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. and Ajao, S.O.(2013) Arts, Culture and Local Crafts, Ibadan, Sea Publishers
ix. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2012) Cultural and Creative Arts for Junior Secondary Schools WORKBOOK 1, Ibadan. Bounty Press.
x. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O. & Apena, J. A. (2012) Cultural and Creative Arts for Junior Secondary Schools WORKBOOK 2, Ibadan. Bounty Press.
xi. Okunlola, I. A., Thompson, E. O., & Apena, J. A. (2012) Cultural and Creative Arts for Junior Secondary Schools WORKBOOK 3, Ibadan. Bounty Press.
Apena, J.A. (2021) The Role of Theatre Arts in National Integration (IJARESM) International Journal of All Research Education & Scientific Methods. 9 (7) 3376 – 3379, ISSN 2466 – 6211.
ii. Apena, J.A. (2021) Theoretical Review of the Impact of Vocational Guidance on Cultural and Creative Arts Education Program in College of Education (IJARET) International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and & Technology. 8 (3)
iii. Apena, J.A., Idowu, O.K. & Suluka, A.B. (2020) Community Theatre Education Against the Terror Scourge of Hepatitis B; The Epe Experiment IJHSS International Journal of Humanity and Social Sciences. 8 (6) 521-526
iv. Apena, J.A. & Ibrahim, W.A. (2019) Community Theatre: Re- Humanising the Local Populace Against Vote-Buying in Nigeria’s Electoral Process FAHSANU Journal ( A publication of the Faculty of Arts / Humanities Scholars of Nigerian Universities, Faculty of Arts, University of Calabar ), Calabar 2 (1). 229-243). ISSN: 26952041.
v. Apena, J.A., Ibrahim, W.A. & Apari, W. J. (2018) Maternal Mortality and Drama Intervention: A case study of Oluyole Local Government, Ibadan Oyo state, Nigeria in Journal of Theatre and Media studies JOTAMS. 3 (2).173-189. ISBN: 978-978-8454-33-5.
vi. Apena, J.A. & Olanrewaju, T.A. (2017) Theatre Business: An Entrepreneurial Endeavour for Sustainability and Profitability amidst Recession National Journal of Sciences and Educational Studies. MOCPED, ISSN 1118745X VOL. 8,(7). 155-167.