A visiting researcher at the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre (C-SET) located in the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr Sola John, has identified interdisciplinarity as the future of research.

The scholar-researcher who intensely combines research engagements in aviation and theatre stated that the application of knowledge in a field in another field of study was not an act of philandering.

Mr John said, “Interdisciplinarity is the future of research. The subject of theatre and medicine, theatre and justice, theatre and mental health, and so on is the result of the application of theatre tools to the field of different studies, which is acceptable in academia. Other areas of research interest for me would include theatre and emotional intelligence, artists, and well-being among many others. I will say the combination of the two excites me. Theatre research can be interesting and tedious at the same time. I can be eclectic in my operations and this research has allowed me to find what is possible in terms of interdisciplinary research. To a researcher, it is not so much about what fascinates you but what needs to be done. The knowledge gap that needs to be filled and the subject matter become the driving motive of the researcher and not so much about my personal biases.’’

Saying that there had been several interests in his work across the globe, the researcher noted, that when he started on the subject, Prof. Adeeko Adeleke of the Ohio State University introduced him to Prof. Alderman, who is a leading voice in cognition aesthetics and before then, the late Prof. Pius Adesanmi attempted to supervise his work.

According to him, his article in The Conversation, a leading platform for researchers in Canada was read over 22, 000 times and published by over 10 tabloids and multiple websites globally.

He stated, “An inflight magazine, Wings, based in Ontario, published it in their February edition and a radio station in Alberta interviewed me on the subject. I got a couple of emails from the UK, USA, and France on possible collaboration. Dr. Afolabi and I are currently editing a book on the subject with contributions from authors across the globe. In my humble assessment, my work will fall within the top 5% of researchers working on this subject matter. It is an exciting adventure for me.’’

Tracing the history of his interest in the aviation industry, he noted that it started as an adult.

He said, “Before then, my closest to the industry was as a ticketing agent booking flights for people, when I started my own company. My interest has grown so wide in understanding the technical aspects of flight operations. I have worked in airspace management as an aeronautical information officer for over a decade. I have also seen several opportunities that could be explored by cultural entrepreneurs in Nigeria to promote our content globally. As it is, I am driven by the desire to link cultural content producers, movie marketers, and record label owners to the global market of inflight entertainment.’’

On how he combines his interest in theatre and aviation to become a robust interdisciplinary researcher, Mr John added that he does so by marrying the two disciplines by applying all he knew as a theatre artist to the study of the cultural dimension of the aviation story, focusing on the type of entertainment provided on board.

He added, “One of the core tenets of the theatre training we received was the ability to function effectively across a broad spectrum. We see life as a stage and everyone as an actor. That is why we have applied theatre as a branch of the field that takes theatre outside the proscenium stage for the benefit and development of the people. In my case, I am interested in the form, content, and dynamics of inflight entertainment. By implication, how has theatre helped contribute to the comfort of the passengers flying?  The essence of innovation is to serve humanity. If you consider the history of inflight entertainment, it was introduced into civil aviation to encourage more people to fly. At the outset, live performances were held on board aircraft. When you see the safety display of aircrew, that is pure acting and they are always dressed in costumes that tell stories about the airline or country of origin.’’

Explaining that his attempt to establish the intersection between aviation and theatre led him to the research, he stated that in the course of his career in the sector, people enquired about the relevance of his degrees to the sector.

He stated, “That was an intellectual quest for me. I took up the topic of researching the introduction of inflight entertainment into the civil aviation industry and its impact. Unfortunately, I couldn’t proceed with the work as it was not feasible to work on it for my PhD. I dropped the idea. However, I was talking with a couple of people who were interested in the research. Among them was Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, who later edited a book on re-centering performance and soft power. I contributed a chapter on inflight entertainment as a tool for cultural dissemination. When the opportunity came for the postdoctoral research, I chose to focus on aviation, entertainment, and culture.

“I had my first degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Jos, a master’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and my PhD from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. I got into the aviation sector by divine orchestration through my elder brother, Bode. I resigned from my job in the private sector to start a business and spend more time in ministry. It was in between those years that I got a job in the aviation sector. Of course, I was trained at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, a West Africancentre of excellence in aviation training. I received a Diploma and Advanced Diploma certificates from NCAT.’’