The Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), is pleased to announce that the 2017 edition of SPANFEST, it’s weeklong festival and their biggest activity for the year, is scheduled to take place from the 18th – 23rd of November 2017.
Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), is a Non-Governmental Organisation set up in February 2005 with the aim of creating a world standard for performing arts education and expression in Nigeria. SPAN offers exceptional opportunities in dance, music, theatre and visual arts to talented Nigerian youth, by inspiring, training, and empowering them, so that their creativity is unleashed.
One of SPAN’s main objectives is the empowerment of youths with various opportunities through skill set development. In 10 years of existence, we have consistently trained youths with appropriate skills and techniques that can help them build careers as well as facilitate the continuity of African art.
The African people are known to have very rich cultural and artistic expression that have shaped the artistic world for centuries especially in the areas of dance, music, drama and visual art; SPAN takes pride in these forms of art and is committed to its preservation and promotion. SPAN as its name suggest, is more than just an organisation, it is a community, a haven for the unseen; a society, enabling artists soar beyond their wildest dreams; A bridge bringing together various forms of arts, to ignite life-changing productions.
Through our 12-year journey, we have been recommended and recognized by several international bodies for transformation brought to the Performing Arts Industry especially in the area of Education and presentation. Some of these bodies include: Goethe Institute, Lebanese Ladies Society, South African Consulate, French Consulate, and American Women’s Club.
SPANFEST initially kicked off as an annual festival but presently runs bi-annually (once in 2 years). This year’s event will be the 3rd edition of what is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting contemporary festivals in Nigeria, and it is themed “My Beat, My City (Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii),” in celebration of this vibrant 50 –year-old city Lagos and its citizens. This spectacular show of arts will feature 5 days of intensive Music Dance & Drama workshops and 5 days of mind blowing performance-packed events.
The SPANFEST vision is to continually create a world-class performing arts festival with the mission to train performing artists in music, dance, drama and performing arts management;
present thought provoking productions and artists and reward individuals who invested their talents to make transformational changes in the performing arts community.
SPANFEST 2017: My Beat, MY City (Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii)
From the 18th-23rd of November 2017, SPAN will be hosting, for the third time, SPANFest, a performing arts festival which will be a modern day experience of the great ‘’FESTAC 77’’. This year’s festival is themed “My Beat, My City” – Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii, which is in celebration of the 50 year old vibrant existence of Lagos State.
The 6-day event which will hold at SPAN Agidigba Community Centre
(workshops), The Muri Okunola Park, and The Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria. The festival will be presenting workshops, and events which will showcase performances and presentations in various forms of performing arts including Dance, Music, Spoken Word, Theatre and Dance Competitions.
As part of our plan to take the festival audience on a ‘journey of
wonders’, SPAN will be bringing together artistes to make ground-breaking presentations. The festival will showcase Nigeria artistes mixed up in an alchemy that will inspire audiences, invigorate artists, stimulate the industry and forge productive relationships around the globe.
Event Line Up
• 18th – 23rd November 2017: Music, Theatre and Dance Workshop – There is an artiste in all of us
• 18th November 2017: Opening/ Award Night: Featuring the critically acclaimed cabaret masterpiece – ‘Swing & Jazz’, a fashion show, orchestra performance amongst others. Awards will be given out to deserving people in the performing arts industry who have contributed immensely to its growth.
• 19th November 2017: The International Dance Organization Hiphop & Street Salsa Competition: An Intense Dance Battle where the winners in both categories take it all.
• 20th November 2017: The Man of Owu – The Tale of A Modern African Family and their travails as they struggle to keep their unity.
• 21st November 2017: “Timeless Roots” – stage show of music, dance, art, & fashion combined into a runway of moving human exhibits manifesting symbols from the Yoruba cultural heritage.
• 22nd November 2017: A benefit concert featuring top notch Nigerian Artistes organized by the SPAN Music Academy
• 23rd November 2017: Workshop Exhibition showcasing the performances of participants as learnt during the workshop. This will be followed by ‘Pincode Show: -The movie’ – A dance performance by 8 passionate dance legends taking the audience through an exciting journey of music, poetry, drama and spoken word.
For sponsorship/media partnership inquiries, kindly view contact info in attached flyer.
