NANTAP to highlight role of theatre in national development at convention

As the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) prepares for its national delegates convention this month, it is promising to use the platform to position theatre and its contributions to national development.

In addition to the above, the association hopes to take advantage of the convention to further explore, debate, and expand the relevance of performing arts in today’s world.

According to Israel Eboh, president, NANTAP, who spoke during a media conference heralding the convention recently at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, the role of theatre cannot be over emphasized from entertainment, career and business opportunities, educational development, fostering unity, among others.

He noted that the convention, which holds on the theme, ‘Theatre, Politics, and National Development’ is timely as Nigeria looks to the creative sector as the lowest hanging fruit to address its unemployment challenges and for economic recovery.

“As we navigate the complexities of governance and democracy, it is imperative to recognise the critical role of theatre and the arts in shaping national consciousness, driving civic engagement, and influencing policies,” Eboh said.

While unveiling the activities of the convention, which is tagged ‘Eko 2024’, the NANTAP president noted that the five-day convention tagged, “ Eko 2024”, will be held from February 118-22, 2025, across multiple venues in Lagos, which include; The National Theatre, Iganmu, Glover Memorial Hall, Freedom Park, and John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan.

The gathering is expected to attract theatre professionals, scholars, policymakers, stakeholders, from across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT.

The activities include; captivating performances that will showcase Nigeria’s finest theatrical productions, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and harnessing the power of storytelling for change; workshops that will be facilitated by renowned industry veterans to equip practitioners with cutting-edge skills in scriptwriting, directing, acting, stage design, and digital theatre innovations; and thought-provoking discussions/ seminars to engage conversations on how theatre can be leveraged as a tool for political engagement, governance, and socio-economic transformation.

NANTAP also hopes to engage the participants in other exciting activities including; networking sessions and an award night where some thespians will be honoured for their significant contributions to the growth of theatre and the creative industry.

It would be recalled that the Eko 2024 convention was originally scheduled to hold in December last year, but was rescheduled due to sector events that coincided with the dates.

While the last year’s convention is holding this February, Eboh assured that this year’s convention, an elective one, will still hold in December to usher in new executives that will steer the ship of the association for the next four years.