CORA launches #TheSOYINKA90Session @LABAF26.0, November 11-14
By Editor
THE Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka was 90 in July, and the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) staged a month-long event at Freedom Park Lagos, and virtually, which featured readings from, and conversations around four of his memoirs, as well as three exhibition projects, including the conceptual interpretation of aspects from his prison memoirs, The Man Died, as curated by the historian, archivist, Oludamola Adebowale of ASIRI Magazine. The Man Died has inspired a recent film, by same title, directed by Awam Amkpa, and produced by Femi Odugbemi for Zuri24 Media.
The four memoirs through which the Nobel laureate has documented the story of his eventful life and partly his illustrious career as a literary artist and social/human rights activist will also form the fulcrum of #The Soyinka90Session @LABAF 26.0, to be staged on Monday, November 11- though 14, 2024 by members of CORA Youth Creative Club (CYCC).
Tagged Conversation between Soyinka and the Younger Generation, the 4-day celebration, is to enable a cross-generational conversation between Soyinka and the youths, many of whom may not have been privileged to encounter the story of Africa’s most garlanded literary son. About 60 youths, mostly undergraduates, will gather everyday from Monday, November 11 to Thursday 14 — to read and discuss contents of the memoirs. They are AKE: The years of childhood, ISARA: A Voyage around SA, IBADAN: The Penkelemes Years and You Must Set Forth at Dawn.
According to LABAF Programme Directorate, the pilot scheme of the programme, titled #TheKONGI90Season, held every Saturday in July – the birth month, has inspired the #TheSOYINKA90Session at this year’s LABAF. Reports from the pilot scheme was “remarkable and impactful” with the young participants, who asked for a repeat of the experience so they could further probe into the memoirs, and spread words about the Nobel laureate’s career as a public intellectual and activist.
Aside the daily readings and conversations will also feature at least three exhibitions around the life and career of Soyinka. These will include: exhibitions of his publications – 90 covers of his books and monographs, his photographs over the years from cradle to adulthood and The Man Died – a conceptual exhibition of his prison memoirs by same title. The idea is to convert the entire Freedom Park arena – a former Colonial prison – to a site-specific celebration space to commemorate the distinguished life and illustrious career of the enigmatic Wole Soyinka.
LABAF 2024 runs from November 11 through17 at its traditional base, Freedom Park, Lagos Island and virtually. The theme for the 2024 edition is ‘Breakout: Hope is a Stubborn Thing.’ The 2024 edition is tagged #The SOYINKASession — dedicated to commemorating the 90th birthday anniversary of Africa’s illustrious ‘Son of Letters’ and, preeminent global humanist. Though a week-long feast of campaign for literacy through literature, performing and visual arts, the heart of the festival lies in the three weekend days of Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17, when the 15 main books of the festival are discussed.
The ‘CONVERSATION’ (Colloquiums, Seminars, Symposiums, BookTreks, Booklogues, Mentorships etc) is the major plenary assembly of the LABAF.
Dubbed the biggest cultural carnival on the continent, LABAF has held consistently since 1999 when it was staged as main event of the maiden (but now rested) “National Creativity Day” to commemorate the return of Professor Chinua Achebe back to Nigeria since he left in 1991 after an auto accident that left him confined to wheelchair till the end of his life in March 2013 aged 82.
Organised by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA). the overarching objective of the festival is growing the HUMAN CAPITAL CAPACITY (Development) of Nigeria (and the continent, by extension) through LITERACY — that promotes and deepens spread of EDUCATION. ENLIGHTENMENT. EMPOWERMENT of the populace across ages, creeds and persuasions.
