Save the National Theatre

Protests @ proposed sale of the National Theatre

From A CORA communique - On Tuesday August 21 at 10am, a conference of stakeholders in the Arts, Culture and Tourism sectors will hold in the Banquet hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. The main objective is to further deliberate on the proposed Sale/Concession of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.The Conference is sequel to a meeting of heads of sectoral bodies of Nigeria Artists, which met on August 11 on the platform of the Coalition of Nigerian Artists as convened by Mr. Mufu Onifade and Mr. Biodun Abe among others (see communique below). You will recall that same Coalition of Nigerian Artists (CONA) had staged a massive protest few weeks back in the precinct of the Theatre complex, to protest the announced Concession/sale of the National Theatre.

• Find out more about efforts to prevent/protest the proposed sell off of

  the

  National Theatre on the CORA blog.
• Festina images taken on 29 August 2004 @ the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos - by MW.

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From ANA Lagos -All creative writers, especially those resident in Lagos, are hereby invited to a special reading organised by the Lagos Branch of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA Lagos, to express our collective anger at the Federal Government’s resolution to cede the National Theatre, Nigeria’s national cultural centre, to private investors albeit through “concession”, despite the protestations of the major stakeholders in the art and culture community.

All participating writers are enjoined to bring placards, and write-ups, including poems and other creative works on the subject for presentation at the special reading, which takes place next week, Thursday, August 30, 2007, at the main entrance of the National Theatre, from 4. 00 pm.

Dress Code: Red

This demonstration is one of the activities lined up by the Congress of ANA Lagos to appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria to review the ill-advised undertaking. Writers are also implored to write and publish (via the Internet and other media – print and electronic) strong articles, poems, plays, stories, etc. to underscore the implications of selling off national monuments.

Folu Agoi

0803 725 7165 / 0802 116 8565

Chairman, ANA Lagos