OjuOponIfa

Opening Night FELA! Party

THE 11TH LAGOS BOOK AND ART FESTIVAL THEME: Reading The Nation Of Poverty Date: November 13-15, 2009 Venue: National Theatre, Lagos Time: 9am - 6pm daily FEATURING: • Panel Discussions • Dialogues • Conversations PARTICIPANTS: VISUAL, LITERARY & PERFORMING ARTISTES, ART ENTREPRENEURS, CULTURE PRODUCERS DAY 1 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 9am: The Green Festival Opens Featuring CATE and the Children workshops 11am: Opening of Festival Exhibitions: CLOSURES and DISCLOSURES 12noon: Mentoring The Young: Theme: The Book In My Life - Mentoring Kids By Funmi Iyanda 2PM: BOOKWORMS: What's In The Book? Three Student Finalists from Our Teenage Book Review Sessions (Book Trek) Discuss School Texts: • J.C. DeGraft's Sons and Daughters • Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus • Eghosa Imasuen's To St Patrick Guest Writer: Eghosa Imasuen Prize award to The Most Literate Student Of The Book Trek 4PM: COLLOQUIUM: Theme: Can A Book Make You Rich?. Reviews, readings

The US-based Actor, Theatre Director, and currently Head of Directing at the Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Prof. Segun Ojewuyi, was 50 on Monday, June 15. Typical of the activist theatre man, he literally ‘directed’ all his friends not to as much as utter a word about his attainment of golden age. But trust the artistes community to ‘obey’ orders (only in reverse), even from the most insistent director of Ojewuyi’s calibre, they still went ahead to celebrate the man, who has done much to put theatre directing on a high pedestal. The tributes, which were collected from colleagues, friends and admirers from across the ocean -- spanning Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States, were collated by Florida US-based Culture activist and photo-documentarist, KOLE ADE-ADUTOLA, who told The Guardian that he embarked on the project as a ‘way of encouraging the proper narration and documentation of the history of contemporary art practice in Nigeria”. Ade-Odutola, who in the ninet

Today, i am swimming in emotion. I have been like this in the past two weeks since the arrival of the 70th birthday anniversary of 'my own very father' in many respects, Dapo Adelugba, dawned on me. But today my cup of deep emotional introspection runneth over.... i am lost at words on how to pay the most deserving tributes to my Mentor, My Teacher, My Guardian, My Guider, My Uncle, My Father... a man, whom, of all the men i have met in my short 40something sojourn here, has meant more than a god to me... My father is 70 today, and i am in the deep trying to dig out those words... oh, were my grandmother -- Iya Ilaro-- to be alive today... she would have blessed me with those timeless Yoruba wise sayings with which to pay homage to one who is very much responsible for my person today... While at this deep search, here is what i sent as sms to Uncle Dapo Adelugba, my own very Baba: OUR DEAREST BABA ON THIS DAY I PRAY THAT OLODUMARE'S GLORY GRACE HONOUR MERCY and BLESSINGS W

Rapturous excitement over rap poetry at WordSlam By Anote Ajeluorou IT was a perfect scene for a perfect occasion reminiscent of a moonlight tale at the fireside in the village. However, there were no old men or women conducting affairs here. Only one old man was present and he took the stage when the young ones had held sway; perhaps, a sign of times. The only regret was that it was an African tale being told on a foreign ground. Aside that, the first edition of Word Slam this year was a huge success. Word Slam III is a live performance of poetry, an open reading and oral performance that brings poets and poetry fans alike together to enjoy the rich tradition of a verbalised art form. And at the Geothe Institut on Victoria Island last Saturday, a large number of Nigerian youths gathered to give expression to their repertoire of poetry to an appreciative audience. There was much to savour by the huge audience in the various readings and performances. The god of poetry walked tall on st