By NKIRU IFEAJUNA

The Producer of Lagos Theatre Festival (LTF), Bikiya Graham-Douglas, has urged budding artistes to submit their content for the 2023 LTF as the event aims at empowering and allowing self-expression of artistes.

Graham-Douglas spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the sideline of the “Stakeholders Soiree” held at British Council Office, in Ikoyi, Lagos.

She said that the LTF was created to encourage young artistes to showcase their talents and have confidence in what they do.

“We want them to create contents by themselves and we empower them through their acts.

“We are calling on content creators to apply and submit their works for 2023 edition which comes up on Feb. 2 to Feb. 5, 2023.

“We want works that will positively inspire and influence the society.

“It is time to figure out how we will keep on evolving as as a nation through the arts,” she said.

The producer noted that this time, they want works that will show that artistes had evolved as individuals, works that might be of new expressions or old works.

“It must be transformative but the bottom line is moving forward.

“The production must be innovative, intelligent and very creative and all-encompassing stage tenets background,” she said.

According to her, the LTF also needs sponsors to encourage the artistes.

Also, the Chairman of LTF, Supo Shasore, said it was good to give young artistes platforms to showcase their talents.

“So, for us to make it easily accessible, we have to continuously make it grow and be able to draw them closer and encourage them to write our own story from their point of view,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos Theatre Festival (LTF) is the largest performing arts festival in Nigeria and indeed, West Africa.

It was created to promote theatre in unconventional spaces.

Through the festival, theatre makers and producers are supported to expand their practice beyond traditional theatre spaces by creating works that respond to any given space.

The festival was founded by British Council in 2013 as part of its ambitions of fostering exchange, collaboration and strengthening relationships between Nigerian and British artistes through the presentation of high quality Nigerian and British theatre.

The LTF in 2013 featured four shows at its debut; LTF 2014 held at Freedom Park featured four shows over four days, following a break in 2015, LTF was re-launched in 2016.

With the introduction of a fringe strand, it featured 109 shows in 19 venues working with 35 theatre companies during the six days of the festival.

In 2017, the festival presented over 70 shows in 16 venues. The 2018 edition of the festival featured over 120 shows in 22 venues.

In 2019, the 6th edition was held from the April 8 to April 14, 2019, and featured 26 productions, with 103 events.

British Council handed over the running and management of the Lagos Theatre Festival to an independent Board in 2019.

Since its inception in 2013, Lagos Theatre Festival has hosted six festivals, with 260 productions, 50 workshops and over 420 shows.

“We have reached 42,800 physically and over 770 million online.” (NAN)

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