Grooming Children on the Value of Taking Care of their Environment

Children and the Environment (CATE), a non-governmental organisation focused on grooming children on the value of taking care of their environment, in collaboration with the 2010 Lagos Book and Art Festival held its ‘The Green Festival 5 at ‘LABAF 2010'.

The event, themed ‘Greening our creativity at 50', consisted of a number of workshops and discussion sessions for the benefit of Children and Teens. The exhibition hall of the National Theatre was filled with a colourful array of pupils from various secondary schools in Lagos State.

  The first session, ‘My Encounter With the Book', featured Olaboludele Simoyan, author of ‘The 8th Wonder of the World: Made in Nigeria'. She spoke about her experiences with reading and then consequently writing.

"As you write, you get better at it," said Simoyan. Sola Alamutu, executive director of CATE and a writer, was the moderator at the session and encouraged the students to put questions to the writer.

One of the students expressed that sometimes books could be boring and one would end up falling asleep while reading. Simoyan advised that they start with the books that interest them. She later gathered some of the secondary school children outside for some practical motivational talk, making use of the approach she had used in her book.

Performances

There were performances from the crown troupe of Africa who rendered Herbert Ogunde's classic song ‘Yoruba Ronu'; and two pupils from Liam High School who did an Efik dance. Three students from Greenspring School rendered an impressive version of African American filmmaker Tyler Perry's ‘Diary of a Mad Black woman', a movie about a woman who had to pick up the pieces of her life after her husband left her for another woman.

  The rendition of the hilarious ‘Madea', the family watchdog was commendable. A few students from Alakoto Senior Model High School confessed that they enjoyed the energetic and captivating performance by the Crown Troupe of Africa. One of the students, Judith Nwabia said she enjoyed reading and that her favourite books were any motivational book by Myles Munroe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's ‘Purple Hibiscus'.

More book talk

The book talk continued into the second day of the event with ‘Talking Book with Cate and Friends'. Sola Alamutu or Aunty Sola as the Children called her , introduced a teenage writer, Ruby Igwe, to the audience.

Ruby Igwe, daughter of filmmaker Amaka Igwe who produced the popular 90s Soap ‘Checkmate', currently in her final year at secondary school, wrote her first book ‘The Land of Kalamandahoo' at age twelve.

Ruby, who also used the opportunity of the festival to promote her book, came up to speak about her craft. Aunty sola also spoke about her book ‘The African Grey Parrot'. According to her, the book draws attention to the importance of taking care of our environments. She is also the author of ‘Cate saves the Ikopi Rainforest', another children's book advocating the protection of the environment.

In an articulate and self assured manner, young Ruby Igwe said ‘The land of Kalamandahoo was a place where everyone played all the day long. She read an excerpt from the book, about a naughty little boy who would rather play than do anything else and how he found himself in the land of Kalamandahoo.

Children performing during the session

Not wanting to give everything away, she wisely encouraged the children to get their copies from the stand after the session. Ruby also mentioned that the book was based on a script which her mother wrote. She added that her latest work ‘Crappy Nnenna' would be out in due course.

From all indication, Ruby and Alamutu have written books that are enlightening, educating and morally enriching too. CATE and LABAF should be commended for their own efforts to enrich and impact the lives of the Nigeria youth.

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Thumbs up for KEMI BAKARE at the WordSlam IV

Friday, September 30, 2011

WordSlam... explosion of live poetry in Lagos

WordSlam... explosion of live poetry in Lagos
• Tomoloju headlines the explosion

(THE GUARDIAN, FRIDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2011)

BY ANOTE AJELUOROU FEATURES

It was by every measure a weekend the power of the spoken word took centre-stage and audience that had gathered savoured every bit of it.

But by far, the most humbling was when playwright, actor, singer and culture journalist and advocate, Ben Tomoloju, stepped up to the microphone and took the audience into the intricate resources of the rich Yoruba oral literary performances laced by his musical compositions. It all happened at Freedom Park, Lagos Island last Saturday. The theme was: Homage to the Environment

Although it had been long he performed in public, Tomoloju left no one in doubt that he is indeed a master of the performance craft. Also pairing affably with another exceptional performer, Yemi Oyewo, Tomoloju showed that he is in a class of his own both in verbal dexterity and musical gift.

For the benefit of the mixed audience, including both non-Yoruba speakers and foreigners, Tomoloju caused Oyewo to do an encore of an Ijala or hunter’s chant while he interpreted. His seamless interpretation while Oyewo chanted was a real fascination and could only have come from a master craftsman like Tomoloju.


Indeed, as Honoured Guest Poet at WordSlam V, the poetry, spoken word, rap and music event put together by Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC) with the support of the German culture centre, Goethe Institut, Tomoloju showed he is a deeply experienced and skilled performer. Digging deeply into his Ilaje-Ese Odo oral roots, his versatility took his audience to the heights of oral performance and he capped it up with a musical rendition with reggae accompaniment from the Naijazz band led by Oyin Ogungbade.


At the end of his act, a standing ovation greeted the rare performance from a multi-talented artiste. Indeed, many young artistes wondered how lucky they were to have been part of the spoken word mini-festival. Younger ones would certainly take a cue from the master craftsman and learn a trick or two to better their craft.

While Tomoloju’s performance clearly turned out the climax of a glorious evening, other younger performers showed promise as usual as those certainly coming into the ripeness of time in poetic and performance art. Culture journalist and actress, Evelyn Osagie also took a cue from her Edo, Benin roots, to give the audience something to chew about in her piece, Nature’s Song. A love poem to Mother Nature, it calls attention to the environment and how positive action needs to be taken to preserve nature from the harmful practices of man that degrade it.

On another level and taking the earth goddess as her guide, Osagie raked up her Edo cultural riches in her soul-lifting verbal narration of the maternal relation between the earth goddess and her children, man; and how she is the mentor of lovers, who need her guidance to succeed, especially as Osamudiamwen was to find in his love quest for his heartthrob.

Not least to thrill the audience was revolutionary reggae artist, Cornerstone (Simon Eyanam Dose). With Rope of Freedom, Cornerstone showed what a musical force his soul-stirring voice could be. Indeed, it would seem that Cornerstone has remained on the fringe for far too long. With a little help, perhaps, Cornerstone could well be the next reggae revolution the world would see. His lyrics is steeped in revolutionary idioms as he speaks with such force that could shake an inert, docile citizenry like Nigeria’s into some form of positive action so the commonwealth could be redeemed from its current socio-political malaise.

Another culture journalist, Chuka Nnabuife, drew attention to the environmental degradation ravaging the South-Eastern parts of the country. Taking a little excerpt from his on-going project, Mbize… Landslide Down the Eastern, Nnabuife is insistent that the time to act is now to avoid a catastrophe waiting to happen, and that it would be easier to stem it now than respond to it later.

Other entertainers included Ikuo Eke, doing her I set sail, set in her Ibibio native root; Amos Onileagbon, with his rap-textured Walking by the precipice; Uche Uwadinachi with his Tell me why, which is steeped in rap and hip-hop musicality that showcased a multi-talented artiste.

WordSlam... explosion of live poetry in Lagos
There were also the flutist, Awoko who also lamented the fate of the environment in his emotionally-charged rendition. He was followed by AJ Dagga Tolar, a poet cast in the mold of slam masters like Mutabaruka and Yasus Afari. The event ended with Edaoto’s rooted Afrobeat performance which drew the enthralled to the dance floor.

To cap a memorable evening, spoken word war was organised for young performers in the Open Mic & Mind segment; they were juried by a combination of the general audience and two selected judges, Chuka Nnabuife and Victor Okhai, both poets, culture activists and journalists. In the end, Oluwakemi Islamiyat from AJ House of Poetry emerged winner; clinching N15, 000 prize courtesy Director of Goethe Institut, Marc-Andre Schchmatel.

Like Wordslam, like Book’n’ Gauge

BUT before WordSlam V, Pulpfaction Club had its monthly Book’n’Guage reading and signing event at Debonair Bookshop at Sabo, Yaba, Lagos. But rather than the books, it was also the spectacularly spoken word poetry of Efe Paul Azino that caused a huge stir amongst the lean audience. His highly inflaming revolutionary poetry, Not a political poem, delivered with such perfect aplomb took the audience through the slums of suffering Nigerians have been helplessly thrown into, and then up to grimy, corrupt thrones and palaces of those who now hold them hostage in a land that should have nothing to do with poverty and suffering in the first place.

And like Cornerstone, the persona in Azino’s poem is shocked at how easily the masses have settled themselves into the mental slavery trap, with the shackles cast around their necks and arms and how they have lost the voice to protest the brutish lives they now lived. Indeed, if poetry casts stones, the masses got stoned first from Azino’s poetic jibes for being irredeemably mute in the face of suffering, and having to accept it as their common lot in life. His second poem simply titled, Words, speaks about the sheer magic of words and why he is so enamoured by them as they give his fertile mind the freedom to range wide to capture phenomena.

Four authors, Imasuen Eghosa (author of To Saint Patrick and the forthcoming Fine Boys), Charles Ayo Dada (author of Ghost of Zina), Samuel Kolawole (author of The Book of M), and Chimeka Garricks (author of Tomorrow Died Yesterday) read excerpts from their works. They also gave backgrounds and inspirations to their writings. Music interludes, too, by two guitarists, punctuated the afternoon readings.

FOR one weekend, therefore, Lagos erupted with a feast of words from some of the finest wordsmiths and voices emerging from the underground. This cultural bloom for the word, whether spoken or written as the two events showed, is part of the literary revival taking place all over the country.

With the support of such institutions like Goethe Institut, it is hoped that other bodies will respond to cries for support from culture entrepreneurs so as to light up the different art scenes.

The WordSlam V was as much a cultural diplomacy as the two events were avenues to create moments of expression for a number of young people and thus engage them creatively for positive activities.

---EniOlorutidak'oseFarawek'oseF'enutembelek'oseBinuk'oseNa'kaiwosisiWiwol'aawo

Posted by EniOlorunda at Friday, September 30, 2011

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WordSlam IV - School Outreach Programme Phase 2

The second phase of the School Outreach Programme, a school poetry workshop kick-off today on the Island. The workshop started at about 1p.m at Ireti Grammar School, Ikoyi, today, Nov 23rd, 2009 and will end on the Nov 25th, 2009.

The first phase which held last week at the Bola Ige Millennium School in Tolu School Complex, Ajegunle was indeed interesting as Ade Bantu took the students through the usage of rhyme and rhythm in poetry and also the ethics of poetry performance. Dagga Tolar - the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Lagos Chapter and the popular AJ poet, was the host and coordinator of the wordshop.

As we start the Island phase of the workshop today, we hope to have an interesting, educating and interacting sections with the Ireti Grammar School Students for the rest of the days as we did had with the Ajegunle students.

Be rest assured that Nov 28th is going to be the bomb as Azadus has shown his interest in joining the main act, Ade Bantu, during the Concert segment of the day.


We announced the 4th edition of the biggest poetry slam in Nigeria - WordSlam - last month and we are happy to let you know that we received considerably large amount of submission.

The School Outreach Programme that is an integral of this edition of the project has been quite interesting and educating with the Ajegunle students. We will be on the Island next week to continue the workshop.

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BornTroWay… creativity hunt hits Ajegunle

ALL is now set for the maiden edition of the Creative Arts Training targeted at youths in Ajegunle, Lagos.  A total of 28 candidates were shortlisted from 130 that did their screening at Ayota Arts Centre, Ajegunle in March this year. The training holds from May 16 to 20 at Millennium Senior Secondary School, Tolu, Ajegunle. The aim is to promote Nigeria’s peace and unity.
With the theme BornTroWay (born throw away), the creative arts training initiative has the objective to promote individual self-expression, artistic skills, teamwork and integration through the arts among a group of talented youths living in the suburb of Lagos metropolis.
The training, no doubt, will enhance the knowledge of youths in the area of communication, orientation and the creation of cultural contributions.
The workshop that cuts across music, drama, dance and poetry has such resource personalities as Ade Bantu (music), Ropo Ewenla (drama), Segun Adefila (dance) and Dagga Tolar (poetry/spoken word).
Candidates selected for the 5-day workshop are drawn from between age 14 – 23.
According to the producer, Ilaria Chessa, “The Project was born from the inspiration of the music matters (www.musicmattersafrica.org) and Bantu Crew (http://bantu.tumblr.com/) who believe that art aggregates, repositions and expands the innate, sometime hidden talent of our youths in Nigeria. It is a voluntary initiative that involves artists and positive individuals that believe in arts as a tool for positive change.
“Music Matters is an Africa-based movement that recognises the centrality of music for achieving multiple objectives across the globe, including the promotion of universal love and peace.  Its vision is to celebrate Africa in her rich diversity through the expression/recognition of her art and to use art as instrument for positive change, self-expression, teamwork and unity. Music Matters is the promoter and producer of the BornTroway Project together with Bantu Crew and with the collaboration of Framewalk. It is also the soundtrack producer for the feature film Ghetto Red Hot.”
He further revealed that the theme chosen for the creative workshop in Nigeria, “is a metaphor for the way we ordinarily look at our society, our people, life and our surroundings: with prejudice”.
It is the desire of the project organisers to inspire a ‘re-think’ of the public attitude towards the less privileged. It invites people to re-experience everyday life with all senses open; be better inclined to connect with what happens around us; be less indifferent and by so doing learn something new. It is also with the recognition that those abandoned by society are not giving up on themselves or on the idea of a better world. Rather, they are not giving up on the idea of change as they embrace it, express it, live it, and turn the negative into positive.
For the organisers, BornTroWay is a reminder that we, all without exceptions, can make our contribution to see things differently, help each other and make positive change happen”.
While the training methodology for the workshop builds on the experience of the cross-cultural art-based Framewalk programme, which originated in Germany with the aim that art and culture must discuss and consider new ways forward and that creative ideas go hand in hand with constant change, which they must adapt in playful ways to new developments and situations. The Training modules will include music (from spoken word to shayo music); dance (from contemporary to street dance); and drama (improvisational theatre).  Future training modules may include fine arts/visual beautification of public spaces, photography, script writing, and filmmaking.
As part of the project, it aims to travel across geopolitical zones, ethnic and religious groups, including cities such as Port Harcourt, Jos, Kaduna and Maiduguri. And in each of these cities some 25-30 young people living in marginal areas will be auditioned, selected and trained.
On the musical show that would tour Nigeria, the best seven or eight member team from each city’s workshop is to be selected to be part of a national musical show production that will tour the country with a view to bringing fresh and combined perspectives of young artists from different geographical, ethnic and religious denominations of Nigeria, who will showcasing their talent and and use it to promote peace and unity amongst the various people of Nigeria.

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