Garlands for virtuoso performers.... … as NANTAP marks World Theatre Day with glamour

Every dog has his day. For the unsung heroes of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, the thespians, it was a day to massage their egos as the National Association of Nigerian Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Lagos State, in collaboration with National Arts Theatre, Lagos, last week, applauded the contributions of remarkable actors and actresses who have been blazing the Nigerian stage. more....

Among those honoured was the founder of TerraKulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters, with the World Theatre Day Distinguished Personality Award. While Teju Babyface, Bunmi Davis, Lancelot Imasuen, Debo Alexander, Ejike Asiegbu, Rogers Ofime were presented with Certified Thespians Award, Efe Omoregbe, Yemi Shodimu, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, Dr Osita, Femi Odugbemi, Laja Adedoyin and Tunji Bamise were presented with Cultural Ambassadors Award, respectively.

Chairman, NANTAP, Lagos State, Ms Eki Faith Eboigbe, observed that it was necessary for practitioners to celebrate themselves for various  resources to move theatre and movie production forward: “Today, we celebrate our heroes behind the scene for their contributions towards sustaining the sector, and we have added another milestone as we have instituted the Lagos State NANTAP Endowment Fund. The fund will enable practitioners showcase their trade, increase economic empowerment and promote theatre practice in the community.

Eboigbe is the first female chairman of NANTAP, Lagos, rounds off her tenure which has been eventful and has contributed greatly to the association. I am grateful to God for the privilege to contribute to the milestone projects and to the sustainability of the association.

Chairman of the event, Mr. Rilwan Bello-Osagie, commended Mrs Austen-Peters for establishing Terrakulture, a place that promotes music, theatre, talent shows and a bookstore which also portrays the country’s heritage.

Bello-Osagie said: “She has done a wonderful job, and she deserves this award. I have always been interested in theatre, and I know that there are challenges, she should not be discouraged and relent on her efforts,” urging her to continue to work hard, hoping that she would earn more awards in future.

Country Director, British Council of Nigeria, Connice Price, also commended Bolanle for being a key collaborator with The British Council in Nigeria. “And we are pleased to see her been recognised for her contributions towards the advancement of the arts sector in Nigeria,” said Connice, adding, “I am pleased to be here, because we have collaborated with NANTAP in the past, and am quite pleased to see the association keeps growing, with a leadership that has continued to develop new initiatives and programmes to move the theatre sector forward.”

In her lecture, “Theatre and Conflict Resolution in the 21st Century,” she said, “for thousands of years, human beings have engaged in conflict and, today in 2015, it is all too easy to imagine our children and grandchildren continue the same struggle. For thousands of years, theatre has been welcomed when it has done so. Theatre is one of the most powerful expressions of a culture.

“Conflict can be both non-violent and violent; experience and evidence have shown that often-violent conflict has its roots in a lack of motivation and method to dead in non-violent conflict. Conflict of any type can occur anywhere at home, in school, in communities, society at large and between nations, it can be sudden or it can simmer under the surface.”
Theatre, she remarked, “encompasses such a wide range of experience for both audience and practitioners, through traditional performance in a space, in a work place with employees, in a school or in the midst of a community, theater has brought some of the most powerful practices into the sphere of conflict resolution, role modeling, practice, listening mime, language, plays.”
In the British Council, she said its work in theatre had evolved, influenced by its growing understanding of conflict sensitivity, prevention and resolution. “We have seen that, tackling issues before they escalate

into violent conflict, we have a much better chance of achieving a safer better world for all of us.

“Conflict management through theatre offers an avenue for an alternative approach for an alternative approach to achieving a deep level of transformation through theatre and drama by exposing people or a group of people to experience a situation for themselves. This experience can be in the form of body movements, gestures and words through expressivity and emotion.

“Conventional theatre tends to have a non-participatory focus, with professional actors showing a piece of theatre that is generally one-way directed to an audience. While Participatory theatre builds on conventional theatre but it gives an opportunity to address issues and provides an active way for the audience and community to become involved in the issues explored and form a sense of ownership. It is made for and by the community. It engages people in conflict to identify issues of concern, analyze and then together think about how change can happen and particularly how relationships of power and oppression can be transformed.”
Through the use of participatory theatre as a conflict management tool, she said conflict situations are enacted on stage and performed by the people involved, an approach that gives the people or spectators the opportunity to enter the scene and to change the course of the presented story.

As the play addresses real social problems and conflict situations in the community, participatory theatre, she said, provides an opportunity for the public to take its time and reflect on the issues at stake. Thus, the people are encouraged to discuss and ask questions in order to find a common, sustainable solution the presented conflict.

“In a participatory theatre play, the actors work together with the public on a scene based on a real problem. Before developing the play, the actors analyse the situation on ground. By discussing with local partners, they identify the central conflict in the community which constitutes the basis of the theatre play they will prepare. During the presentation, the chosen conflict illustrated.

The audience follows the scene, when the problem culminates, the spectators are invited to adapt, change or correct the situation, a person’s attitude or behaviour. By assuming the role of one of the protagonists on stage, they can propose ways to transform the conflict-laden situation. Different audience members take initiative offering their ideas until a solution is found,” she added.

Lancelot, who represented his category of award recipients, acknowledged its importance, vowing to work hard, while commending the organisers for recognizing and awarding them. Also, Yomi Shodimu, who spoke on behalf of his group, thanked NANTAP, Lagos, for honouring them, just as Bolanle Austen-Peters commended NANTAP for honouring her with the award, promising to continue promoting and supporting the arts and culture sector in the country.