The British Council in Partnership with FirstBank Announces Lagos Theatre Festival 2016

January 19, 2016

The British Council in Partnership with FirstBank Announces Lagos Theatre Festival 2016

   …Engages New Voices in Theatre

The British Council has, for three years, been working on a theatre programme to stimulate innovation in theatre practice in Nigeria. The council sought to offer opportunities for professional exchange between Nigerian and British theatre makers and this birthed the Lagos Theatre Festival in 2012. This year, Lagos Theatre Festival returns bigger and better than ever as part of UK/Nigeria 2015 –16; a major season of arts in Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and strengthening relationships between the UK and Nigeria. First Bank of Nigeria Limited is a major promoter of the British Council Lagos Theatre Festival 2016 as part of its First@arts initiative.

In preparing for the UK/Nigeria 2015–16 season of Arts, the British Council desired to engage New Voices in Theatre and requested the submission of scripts for the Lagos Theatre Festival from emerging playwrights who were asked to reflect the experiences of young people living in Lagos today. A record number of 64 applications were received over a four week period and four plays were shortlisted by a panel of writers for a creative writing workshop and script development. The plays are: Every Single Day by Olubunmi Familoni, The Wait by Bode Asiyanbi, Barcode Dialogueby Atinuke Aweda and Dialing Love by Paul Ugbede. The winning playwrights have been awarded a cash prize of #100,000 each with an option of producing their plays at the Lagos Theatre Festival scheduled for February 23 – 28 2016.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited is a prime promoter of the creative arts industry in Nigeria is supporting the arts under the auspices of the First@arts initiative which is driven by the quest to promote the arts and preserve cultural heritage. Through First@arts, FirstBank has encouraged home-grown human capacity development and enhanced the creation of employment opportunities within the arts industry, thereby creating a sustainable value chain and contributing to the growth and development of an evolving art economy in Nigeria. The Bank is pleased to support the Lagos Theatre Festival even as it promotes new talents in the creative arts industry. FirstBank believes that promoting the arts and preserving contemporary culture is essential for our generation and the future generations.

The Lagos Theatre Festival 2016 will take place at several venues on Lagos Island and the mainland with a curated programme running alongside a fringe strand of affiliated performances allowing a greater than ever number of artists and audiences to take part.  Tickets are available from February 1 at Naija ticket shop, Dealdey.com and TerraKulture.

 

About UK/Nigeria 2015–16      

UK/Nigeria 2015–16 is a major season of arts in Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and strengthening relationships between the UK and Nigeria.

Programmed in association with a host of partners, it features more than 30 projects and more than 80 events in art, fashion, design, theatre, dance, music, literature and film throughout Nigeria and includes showcases of Nigerian arts and creative industries in the UK. UK/Nigeria 2015–16 has a focus on creating access to art, new digital work, innovation, and art in public spaces working with young people. Partnerships between Nigerian and British artists, institutions and organisations will be at the heart of the season which aims to develop skills and capacity across the creative industries. The programme will run until April 2016 creating new connections in arts, education, innovation, trade and investment.

For more information visit: https://www.britishcouncil.org.ng/uk-nigeria-2015-16

Join the conversation on Twitter #LTF2016 #UKNG

For more information, please contact Adedamola Mogaji, Communications Manager, UK/Nigeria 2015–16, British Council: UKNigeria@britishcouncil.org

 

About FirstBank

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, is Nigeria’s leading financial services institution by total assets and gross earnings and one of the largest corporate and retail banking financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). Since its establishment in 1894, the Bank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, risk management and strong capitalization.

FirstBank operates an extensive distribution network with over 750 business locations (623 branches, 61 quick service points and 69 cash centers/agencies), over 2,464 ATM’s and over 10 million customer accounts.  The Bank provides a comprehensive range of financial services and has international presence through its subsidiaries, FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank in DR Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal as well as its Representative Offices in Johannesburg, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

FirstBank is the recipient of many awards. The Bank has been named “The Best Bank Brand in Nigeria” four times in a row – 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 – by the globally renowned “The Banker Magazine” of the Financial Times Group. FirstBank’s brand purpose is to always put its stakeholders, customers and partners at the heart of its business, even as it is poised to standardize customer experience and excellence in financial solutions across Sub Saharan Africa, in consonance with its brand vision “To be the partner of first choice in building your future”. The brand promise is to always deliver the ultimate “gold standard” of value and excellence. This commitment is anchored on the FirstBank’s inherent values of passion, partnership and people, to position its customers first in every respect.

For three consecutive years, 2012, 2013 and 2014, FirstBank was named the “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards. Other recent awards include the “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, “Best Bank in West Africa” and “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” in the African Banker Awards, “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the EMEA Finance African Banking Awards for the fourth time, “Best Foreign Exchange Services in Africa” in the EMEA Finance Treasury Services Awards, “Best Banking Group in Nigeria” by World Finance Banking Awards, and “Best Financial Reporting Company” by Africa Investor.

 

Signed

Folake Ani-Mumuney

Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications

www.firstbanknigeria.com

January 19th, 2016

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