The third Beeta Arts Festival in the Federal Capital Territory was an inclusive event that featured several creative minds and art forms from the continent.
THE third Beeta Arts Festival (BAF) themed ‘New Narratives, Limitless Possibilities’ held in Abuja last December lived up to its billing. The five-day creativity galore spotlighted emerging and established African performing artists in film, music and fine arts, who showcased their crafts to an excited audience.
Leading arts and culture professionals from within and outside the country, members of the diplomatic community, government officials and celebrities had a rich workshop, conversations, book readings, film screenings, and stage plays at the Abuja Continental Hotel central hub and other locations. Music, competitions, storytelling sessions, games, a festival market, and different curated experiences were included.
The pre-event activities included virtual and physical workshops and discussions. There was storytelling, singing, branding and communication, publishing, acting, producing, directing, and navigating mental health issues. The facilitators included award-winning director of the 200 City Choir, Shallom Matthew, play director and scriptwriter Joshua Alabi of Kininso Concepts, actor and director Olarotimi Fakunle and the founder of Paperworth Books, Ibiso Graham-Douglas, amongst others.
A star-studded cocktail at 6ixx Bar and Grill had actor Anthony Effiong Edet (TTT), reality TV personality OJ Posharella, award-winning actress Ivie Okujaye, Fakunle, members of Abuja Literary Society, the Deputy High Commissioner of Botswana, NANTAP president, Israel Eboh, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and others in attendance.
The 2023 edition of the Beeta Arts Festival was held in solidarity with 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence in collaboration with the United States of American Embassy in Abuja, Senator Kingibe, whose gender-based violence-focused not-for-profit Orange Initiative, in conjunction with the American Film Showcase, held a screening and panel session that showed films such as ‘Nevertheless’ by Sarah Moshman and ‘Movement’. The festival’s main activities, including stage plays, film screenings, and music, happened at the Abuja Continental Hotel. BAF’s specially crafted experiences included storytelling by Aunty Shine Shine and Painting Corner by Fawzah.
Physical and virtual workshops were facilitated by Dr. Agozie Ugwu, Nadira Shakur and Michael Afenfia. Films screened at the Beeta Arts Festival were curated in collaboration with Manyatta Screenings in Kenya, and the works showcased were from Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Morocco. Homegrown and diaspora Nigerian titles were also screened at the festival. They included work by Kagho Idabhor and Momo Spaine.
The plays performed at the festival included works from the alums of the Beeta Playwright Competition, including Adesewa Akinyemi, John EkpenoUkut, Paul Ugbede, Ronke Gbede and newly curated works by Fakunle.
Seasoned performers who directed plays included Abiodun Kazeem, Akinwumi Wealth, Olarotimi Fakunle, and Mandu Okpako. In contrast, notable personalities who brought some of the play’s characters to life were Daniel Okosun, Bunmi Sogade, OJ Posharella, and Thin Tall Tony, who were also goodwill personalities of the festival.
A book reading happened with the presentation of Adaora Onyechere Sidney-Jack Power’s new work, ‘Pu#%y and Politics’. The work by the gender advocate and media personality affirmed BAF’s keen interest in women-related social issues. According to the author, she wrote the book to shed light on women’s important role in changing and reshaping the political landscape for collective growth and national progress.
Founder and Festival Director Bikiya Graham-Douglas expressed happiness that the festival’s goals of uniting African creatives in Abuja to showcase authentic African stories while opening up pathways for better storytelling, networking, and collaboration were met.
She noted that BAF is a meeting point for different artistic expressions and that “We are committed to giving rising stars a platform to showcase their creativity and provide room for networking that creates lifelong collaborations to enhance arts and culture and the creative economy in Nigeria and Africa.”
The closing ceremony was a feast of spoken word, music, dance and the famous jollof rice eating competition.
