The Sahara Centre partners Goethe-Institut Nigeria to launch Lantern Art, Space Fellowship programme

The Sahara Centre, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Nigeria, has announced the launch of The Lantern Art and Space Fellowship Programme.

This pioneering initiative aims to address the pressing need for dedicated spaces for art, culture, and freedom of expression in Lagos.

Creating spaces for art, culture, and community expression is vital for the growth and evolution of Lagos.

Adun Okupe, executive director of The Sahara Centre, explains, “The Lantern Art and Space Fellowship Programme seeks to explore how access to existing spaces can be negotiated, repurposed and utilised by communities.

“This endeavour aims to strengthen social cohesion and contribute to socio-cultural sustainability, a key pillar for long-term wellbeing and development.”

For 2024, 16 fellows have been shortlisted from a highly competitive selection process. This multidisciplinary cohort is purposefully diverse, encompassing artists, art administrators, researchers, architects, project managers, cultural producers, and creative entrepreneurs.

Nadine Siegert, director, Goethe-Institut Nigeria, underscores the programme’s importance: “There is an urgent need for artistic spaces that facilitate critical discourse in Lagos.

“Spaces for art that are not purely commercially oriented are becoming increasingly rare, and public funding is lacking, while urban spaces are becoming more restricted,” Siegert said.

She further said: “The Lantern Art Space Fellowship project addresses this need, examining how spaces for art, culture and freedom of expression can be part of the dynamic development of the Lagos art ecosystem.”

At the Goethe-Institut, we are proud to work together with our trusted partner, The Sahara Centre, to develop sustainable strategies for art spaces and cultural structural support models appropriate to the respective context of Lagos.” Nadine explained.

“The Lantern Laboratory by The Sahara Centre furthers our mission to craft African solutions for African Societies, promoting an environment that encourages ideaton, experimentation and innovation. We are pleased to continue our relationship with Goethe-Institut Nigeria and develop innovative approaches to space access, negotiation and programming with the Lantern Art/Space fellows”, she concluded.