LAGOS will come alive with theatre and cultural activities next moth as Crown Troupe of Africa hosts Eko Theatre Carnival Festival.The festival scheduled to hold from December 17 through 30, is expected to bring several artistes and theatre troupes together, engaged in several performances. Director of the Eko Theatre Carnival Festival, Segun Adefila disclosed that it will be a feast of music, dance, drama, poetry as well as visual art displays on one stage. He reiterated that the festival is being put together by Crown Troupe of Africa in collaboration with some other theatre companies, adding that theatre has as one of its roots, traditional festivals where people congregate for the purpose of communal rejuvenation. 'Now in its 'matured and contemporary' state these gatherings with their attendant theatrical elements have been dichotomised into secular and non-secular components. The result being two pronged: a sharp deviation from the purpose of festivals; retentions of its non secular elements as evident in traditional festivals such as Eyo, Osun, Argungun, and New Yam Festivals as well as church or mosque revivals to mention a few. These (religious) activities, though communal, are not as all inclusive as they should be as a result of sectarian pluralism due to the robust diversity of, especially cosmopolitan cities,' he said.Adefila also pointed out that theatre in its integrated form of dance, music, drama, poetry, visual arts among other being an offshoot of these festivals now appears to be for an exclusive audience. 'Its communal ethos has been shed for elitist garment. Gone are the days of the popular Traveling Theatres of Ogunmola, Ogunde, Jimoh Aliu to mention but a few. The state of the economy due to prolonged political instability is one of the major reasons for this disjoint. Like most things available to the masses such as public schools, hospitals and libraries, recreational outlets are gradually racing away from the reach of the people to be replaced by vulnerability due to harsh economic reality.'This is evident in the gradual disappearance of Cinema houses from low income areas to high income areas. Agege Pen Cinema, Agege, Casino Cinema, Alagomeji, Jebako Cinema, Idi Oro, Sheila Cinema, Lagos Island etc. are for instance mere relics of their old fame to be replaced by flourishing Cinemas in highbrow domains. Same is the fate of popular live (or living) theatre.'According to him, there is obvious need for a communal gathering where theatre without sectarian coloration will be at the disposal of the masses, is the main purpose of the Eko Theatre Carnival Festival. Now in its third year, Eko Theatre Carnival Festival, he said, used to be known as the Bariga Open Air Theatre Festival (aka B.O.A.T Festival), a platform where dance-theatre groups 'pool their brew' for the collective consumption of communities in open spaces. 'People come together at these events for the sole purpose of being entertained thus heralding a new beginning of equity as it relates to access to theatre performances which otherwise would have been beyond their meager reach.'A feast of music, dance, drama, poetry as well as visual art displays on one stage and in turns, will be the communal offering of the day. Different groups as well as individuals shall entertain the community with their kind of arts. It is a masses oriented event packaged for festive periods.
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