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A series of
programmes are in place to mark the 50th birthday of Toyin Akinosho,
secretary-general of the art advocacy group, the Committee For Relevant
Art (CORA). Scheduled to commence today May 12, the events include an
Arthouse Forum, a ‘Night of Dramatic Exploits,’ reading sessions and a
variety night.

Organising the
event is a committee of friends called ‘Friends of Toyin Akinosho’
amongst whom are Jahman Anikulapo and Deji Toye.

‘Art Advocacy and
Art Journalism – Developments in the last two decades’ is the topic of
The Arthouse Forum, which holds on May 12 at Terra Kulture. G.G. Darah,
a renowned professor of English, will deliver the Keynote Speech.

According to Deji
Toye of ‘Friends of Toyin Akinosho,’ “We believe a jubilee celebration
of Akinosho is a proper occasion to discuss the state of Nigerian art
through two of its pillars of sustenance in the last two decades. This
period has been one of transformation on a global level. As the last
decade of one century and the first of another, it has witnessed
transformation in the mode and manner of communication on a scale and
pace not witnessed before. In Nigeria, it was also a period of flux –
near death of the publishing industry and, on the sunny side, the
emergence of a Nigerian unique motion picture model which has gone
ahead to influence the rest of Africa and attracted the attention of
the world. Besides, the implication of political instability is that
there has not been any consistent policy on culture and how it can be
harvested for national development.”

He further pointed
out, in a statement announcing the programme, that, “Two key factors
which have however sustained the centrality of Art and Culture in the
public space have been the growth of Art Journalism into full desks in
the print media with daily runs and proliferation of advocacy efforts –
from trade guilds to practitioner associations, patrons’ foundations
and ordinary citizens’ initiatives.”

The Night of
Dramatic Exploits will include a play-reading session and a production
of ‘Po,’ a two-man cast play under the direction of Ropo Ewenla.
Up-and-coming playwrights have the chance to send in entries from which
a winning play will be selected and read at the play-reading session.
The drama night takes place at the National Theatre.

On Thursday, May
27, an interview session is scheduled for Jazzhole in Ikoyi with talk
show host Funmi Iyanda and scholar Sola Olorunyomi as proposed
interviewers. This session will include readings of book excerpts.
According to the tentative programme of events, “before the session or
as interludes, book excerpts will be read in commemoration of
Akinosho’s incurable insistence that no event should be complete
without reading of excerpts.”

The variety night
is the last of scheduled events and holds at the National Theatre on
Sunday, May 30. Expected at the ‘Night of Reminiscences and
Performances’ are filmmaker Tunde Kelani, veteran actor Femi Jarrett,
writer Akin Adesokan, art historian and critic Chika Okeke-Agulu,
veteran theatre practitioner Ben Tomoloju, and the poet Uzor Maxim
Uzoatu.

NANTAP Lagos, Guild of Nigerian Dancers, Ijo Dee, Crown Troupe of Africa, Laffomania and Dagomba are all scheduled to perform.

Toyin Akinosho, cultural ‘landscapist’ and Arts patron will be 50 on May 17.