Abuja Fringe returns in 2022 with ‘new narratives’ in the Nigerian creative space. The art festival in its third year is aimed at improving the livelihoods of artists as well as finding new voices in the Abuja creative space.
Abuja Fringe is an open-access multidisciplinary arts festival held at seven locations for creatives in the art industry. The festival which started in Lagos before extending to Abuja in 2020 has been an avenue for international and local artists to conceive and share ideas on advancing their works.
The Co-founder and Director of Abuja Fringe, Kenneth Uphopho, said the third edition of the festival, themed, ‘New narratives’ is suited for the budding city of Abuja.
Uphopho said the 2022 festival was focused on supervising how things work in Nigeria’s creative space, alongside developing new skills, new connections and new collaborative workspaces.
The festival hosted exchanges and empowerment programmes with special focus on technology for creative practice, audience development, marketing and communications with established facilitators from the US, UK and Nigeria.
This training was delivered virtually and physically, and participants were enlightened on re-strategizing audience engagement and reframing conversations in a positive way to make for more resilient and inclusive artists’ communities.
Uphopho said it is important for artists to unlearn what they’re used to and adopt innovative and cost-effective ways of engaging with their audience.
“New narratives came from the objective of shifting the conversation from the norm to unconventional ways, let’s start to look at some spaces. Instead of thinking of venues where you’re going to pay exorbitant fees to exhibit your work, get places like a cafe to exhibit your works. It is very unconventional and you could also ticket your shows and people will pay for it. These venues already have an existing audience base, so, artists do not need to be struggling in trying to reach people,” he said.
He said this idea is not hard to sell, “we want to shift that thinking of I have to wait for money before I can present work. Let’s get this work going, sometimes, by collaborating with the right person who has the right resources instead of waiting for funding. That is why we are here and that is what we are doing,” he said.
Activities at the festival include a collaborative project Wales Good Cop Bad Cop titled ‘Glimpses From The Edges’ under the British Council Culture Connect Initiative – exhibiting outcomes of the project at the festival and in Wales. Creative facilitators such as CC Hub Nigeria’s Ojoma Ochai; poets Dike Chukwumerije and Bash Amuneni; Nadine Patel UK; Erwin Maas and Victor Gulley from the US; and Brighton Fringe CEO Julian Caddy engaged participants in working forums and workshop discusses that highlighted key issues, potential solutions as well as demonstrations of transferable practice.
Participants were also thrilled to entertaining live performances and were empowered on accessing artistic and cultural workshops, film and media events, exhibitions and opportunities to forge global connections that will build emerging creatives and improve professional ones.
He said the festival has always been about the artists and improving the livelihoods of the artists.
“What the Abuja Fringe is here for is to support artists who don’t have the wherewithal to pay for these expensive places, help them broker those conversations and do some capacity building learning programmes to enable them find the right funding for their works and put them in those places so that they can make some money for themselves. It should be about exhibiting the work and making some money from it,” he said.
He said the capacities of the artists were developed in grant and proposal writing.
A participant and Head, Media and Theatre Art Department of the Federal University Lafia, Steve James, commended the organisers for providing a platform for artists to deepen their understanding and widen their horizons. He said students from the university that participated in the festival are better for it.
“I believe that the young ones should experience those things we experienced in those days. Festivals are about our culture, our person and the people. The young ones these days are not even grounded in what we learnt when we are growing up. I brought the students to learn about art. I want them to hear from people that are experienced and by the time they get back to school, they will be ahead of others when they put those things in practice,” he said.
He said the students also presented a stage play, ‘Handcuff’ to the admiration of the audience.
“Handcuff is about marriage and we believe that ring is a handcuff because you allow a man to touch every part of your body that is sacred but cannot touch your phone,” he said, adding that the values are being eroded.
One of the facilitators of the festival workshop Tope Sani said the festival would help artists in audience development as the organisers aimed to create a fringe community in Abuja.
“Abuja is a hub and there are so many young creatives that are hungry and need a platform like this,” she said, adding that the festival through the partnership of international organisations and seasoned creatives would aid a shift to a new narrative among participants.
“Artists need to be consistent and their networks matter. They should talk about their work consistently. Be proud of the work you are doing and be ready to accept criticism and network,” she said.
“While I understand the fact that governmental support in providing infrastructure will help people, you must start by putting and presenting yourself to the government. You can’t wait until the government gives you something, how long are you going to wait, do you know how many people they are responsible for, it could take forever. I understand that there is a place for the government in providing infrastructure, there is no doubt about that but you can’t wait, you start and present your work, which is the best you can do,” she urged participants.
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