…For pure art enthusiasts
Unity Festival Hits Lagos on Independence Day YINKA OLATUNBOSUN
Nigeria, in its 59th year of Independence is in dire need of unity, peace and tolerance. It is for this reason that the organisers of the Unity Festival have announced that the 2019 Independence Day celebration in Lagos will not be an indoor affair.
Being a public holiday, a lot of Lagosians often opt for watching home videos, listening to Nigerian music on radio and some other yawninspiring activities. This year will not be the same for fun-seekers in Lagos.
The Festival Manager, Unity Festival, Jennifer Tokunbo Serrano is bringing a festival which is driven towards uniting people across ethnic barriers to boost cultural and intra-national tourism without an entry fee. Serrano who described herself as a second-generation migrant was born and raised in the UK till she returned to Nigeria in 2005, with the energy to make a difference.
“I did a two-month survey on social media asking people if they love Nigeria. I found out that the love for the nation is missing. Some will ask, Is Nigeria even a nation? It’s only a geographical entity. There is no patriotism. But they agree that there are some aspects of Nigeria they love and those aspects are entertainment, music, movies, food and arts,’’ she explained.
Hence, the festival is built on cultural elements such as food, dance, music and art- things that unite us to promote patriotism and national identity. The carnival which takes off at the Governor’s Office, Alausa Ikeja parade will be a curtain raiser for the festival and other cultural engagements tied to it.
“Beginning in October, we will share with the pupils in Lagos the mood of independence through dance and drama,’’ she revealed. “As part of celebrating Nigeria, we intend to demonstrate our message by meeting the needs in the schools; giving books and stationery to the students.’’
The Unity Festival will feature art exhibitions, folklore corner, tie and dye, mat weaving, indigenous cooking competition with adequate security. On October 2, a special awards dinner will hold at Intercontinental Hotel with a keynote address on Nigerian Unity and Culture.
“Next destination will be North-East in December then in 2010, South-South in February, Middle-belt in April, South-East in June and North West in August,’’ she added.
Mambila Hall was full of arts and culture journalists on the invitation of the international cultural organisation, British Council last Thursday when an open call to aspiring filmmakers, directors and writers was made.
Called Lagos filmLab, the project is created towards making low-budget, world class films that tell African stories. Funded by the British Council and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, with Creative England and Biola Alabi Media as delivery partners, the project will be a talent hunt that selects budding talents within Lagos to make three high-quality feature films.
The Head of Programmes, British Council, Mrs. Ojomo Ochai explained that the project was designed to address issues facing the film industry such as financing, infrastructure and capacity building to improve the quality of output and revenue.
“This project will discover and support 12 teams of emerging film talent in August and September 2019 through an intensive residential programme facilitated by experienced film executives and professional writers.
“Filmmaking teams will be guided through the development and production phases of filmmaking with dedicated support. Participants will be educated on topics such as script development, production, sales, marketing and distribution as well as financing,’’ she said.
In the end, 12 teams of aspiring filmmakers will go through a shortlisting process and training workshops using a series of seminars and open sessions with industry experts from the UK and Nigeria. The seminar topics will also address the film industry challenges including copyright infringements and piracy, distribution and taxation. The call is open till September 18.
An addition to the literary world in Nigeria is the new book by the United Nations and Nigerian Air Force award recipient, Flight Lieutenant Anthonia Egbujiobi.
Fresh from Purple Shelves Publishers, the book titled, “Bridging CivilMilitary Gap: Strategies for Robust Relationships and Successful Operations” will be launched next month in Makurdi, Benue State. A product of research work, the book proffers alternative solution to the upsurge of insecurity that currently plagues the country.
“We are pleased to be associated with a work that is definitely timely and relevant in these days of uncertainty due to insecurity,’’ the CEO, Purple Shelves Publishers said. “We hope that members of the civil society, individuals and the general public, will read the book and be equipped with adequate knowledge on how to collaborate with the military and make our society safer”.