8th Lagos Book & Art Festival

INVITATION

The 8th Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) is billed to run on the open lawns of the National Museum from September Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th 2006 and the Committee For Relevant Art (CORA) is inviting you toparticipate by showcasing your products to about forty thousand (40,000) residents of the city who are expected to attend the various events in the Festival in different capacities over a period of three (3) days.

CORA: CORA is a club of arts enthusiasts who are keen on improving the literary appreciation of the average Nigerian as well as increase the literacy rate in the country through non-governmental, informal intervention.

LABAF : LABAF is a culture picnic primed to attract families and a public that seeks entertainment. The previous seven editions have been filled with fun and thrills, with a full band performing, galleries displaying art, theatre performances, and a series of art, craft, textile, dancing workshops focused on kids, happening all over the open field.

The festival features scores of book stands, symposiums on literature as well as book parties. There are at least four drama skits and full theatre productions on the festival grounds throughout the three-day duration of the Festival. The idea is to make "The Book" have mass appeal. Ours is not a Book Fair. It is the city's prime culture picnic, an arts festival with a high Book content.


PROGRAMME (Tentative)

PREAMBLE: All Exhibitors are expected to arrive theFestival venue on Thursday Sept 14, and proceed to set up their wares in readiness for the formal opening on Friday Sept 15.

DAY 01; THURSDAY SEPT 14 11am:

Opening of the 2nd LAGOS COMICS & CARTOONS CARNIVAL & ExhibitionTheme: LITERATURE and THE NIGER DELTA CONFLICT Time: 4pm
Venue: Agip Hall, MUSON

Speakers:
1. JAMES MARRIOT co-author THE NEXT GULF
2. ORONTO DOUGLAS co-author WHERE VULTURES FEAST-Reading Excerpts:
3. NIMO BASSEY author WE THOUGHT IT WAS OIL...
4. KAINE AGARY author YELLOW YELLOW
5. E.C OSONDU author FOR KEN FOR NIGERIA7pm:

Drama Presentation: Moremi RSV by Ayo Arigbabu, presented by Crown Troupe of Africa

DAY 1: FRIDAY SEPT 14 -FORMAL OPENING CEREMONY-

8am: Exhibition opens
9am: Children workshops open
10am: Opening: Keynote by RASHEED GBADAMOSI (Economist, Playwright, former Chairman ofNIDB) Theme: THE BOOK AND THE NATIONAL CONSENSUS Venue: Festival Ground

Chairman: Dr Paul Dike Chike Ex-DG National Gallery Of Art, NGA

12 noon: ROUNDTABLE Theme: WHAT DO WOMEN WRITE: (The Female narrative Voice in Nigerian fiction)

Books and Speakers:
1. CROSSROADS by PEJU ALATISHE
2. SPLENDID by MOBOLAJI ADENUBI
3. NO SENSE OF LIMITS byARACELLI AIPOH
4. ICARUS GIRL by HELEN OYEYEMI

Moderator: Omowunmi Segun

4pm: WORKSHOP Theme: REPORTING THE ARTS
Speaker: GERD MEUER (former African Correspondent, German Public Radio, ARD) Participants Arts and Culture Journalists
Venue: Festival Ground (Courtyard)
(Collaboration with GOETHE INSTITUT, LAGOS.)

6pm: FILM SHOW: Title: The Edukators directed by Hans Weingartner. Germany 2004. Venue: GOETHE INSTITUT, LAGOS


DAY 2: FEAST OF CELEBRATION

8am: Exhibition Opens
9am: Children Workshops / Comics& Cartoons carnivalcontinue
10am: LECTURE Theme: BOOK IN MY LIFE
Speaker: PROF. PAT UTOMI
Venue: Festival Ground

1pm: FEASTING THE 2006 PEOPLE * Celebration of the landmark birthdays of the members of the arts and culture family. * Short tributes by associates of the celebrants, highlighting their contributions to thedevelopment of the arts and culture sector of the economy.
STEVE RHODES @ 80
MATS DA SILVA @ 70
BENSON IDONIJE @ 70
BIODUN JEYIFO @ 60
FEMI OSOFISAN @ 60
TARZAN @ 50

Bandstand: FATAI ROLLING DOLLAR

3pm: SEMINAR (Plus Roundtable)
Theme: IS AFRICAN LITERATURE MORE ABROAD THAN AT HOME?
Speaker: GERD MEUER (Ex-African Correspondent,ARD)
Response: MANTHIAS DIAWARA (Prof) (New YorkUniversity, USA)
Discussants: Audience members
Venue: Festival Ground

5pm: MOREMI RSV, a play written by Ayo Arigbabu, performed by The Crown Troupe of Africa.
7pm: Film Show- Go for Zucker! directed by Dani Levy. Germany2004
Venue: GOETHE INSTITUTE, LAGOS


DAY 3: WRAP UP

8am: Exhibition opens
12 noon: Children Workshop / Comics & Cartoonscarnival continues
1pm: Festival Bouquet Theme: 15 YEARS OF CORA: AN APPRAISAL Speakers:
1. ODIA OFEIMUN
2. BISI SYLVA

1.45pm: Family Blues- a stage adaptation of the soap opera by Just For You Media Outreach.
2pm: ART STAMPEDE Theme: 20 Years After The Nobel Prize

Topics & Discussants:

Impact on Nigeria Literature by PROF BIODUN JEYIFO
Impact on African Literature by PROF MANTHIAS DIAWARA
Impact on Global Cultural Discourse by GERD MEUER
Impact on African New Cinema Culture by AWAM AMKPA

Venue: Festival Ground

Other Programmes are: An Art Exhibition featuring works of contemporary artists

Launches and presentations of various books byNigerian authors based at home and abroad
Public presentations by writers and culture workers from other countries participating in the festival
Drama shows all through the festival
Movie screenings*
Workshop for the little ones on arts and craft, environment, story-telling, drama and dance etc

Should you require further clarification, please revert to the undersigned.

We thank you for your belief in the possibilities of this country.

Very truly yours,

Toyin Akinosho -Sec General

Jahman Anikulapo -Prog. Chair 234-(0)8022016495