With the theme ‘unity in cultural diversity’, the organisers of the annual Warri Arts Festival promises a bigger and better fiesta.
The 3rd edition of the Warri arts Festival is set to hold in multiple locations within the Warri metropolis including estate roundabout, orhuwhorun, igbudu market, with Warri ramp (shell ramp) Enerhen junction Warri Delta State, as the main Festival Hub. This year’s festival will feature over 7 events – drama, opera, dance, comedy, and spoken word/bookfest and evening events of karaoke, comedy, music performances, beauty pageant and fashion show
There will be side attractions including bringing together vendors providing food, art and crafts, and services for the pleasure of attendants (families included) of the Festival. There will also be learning opportunities with workshops and panel discussions included in festival activities for talent development.
The event will bring together shows and events by production companies from Delta State and outside the state selected specifically to suit this year’s theme
This official announcement was made during a recent press conference for the WAF 2021 held at Warri Ramp (former shell ramp) The Chairman of WAF Jilams Odigwe revealed that the festival aims at portraying Warri as the home of artistic expressions.
This year’s edition, in partnership with the Delta State arts and culture, NANTAP, FTAN, NANTA, GONDP, GOTHAM, and NPDC is aimed at exceeding bounds. He noted that the WAF “is committed to ensuring and opening up the art form in the industry” while making it accessible to people to express themselves within the theatre and other art forms.
The Festival Director General, Utuedor Onos stated that WAF remainder focused on creating opportunities for upcoming performing artists through its site-specific scope of presentations outside the traditional theatre. “So, this year, our theme for the Warri Arts Festival is ‘unity in cultural diversity’.
What we are saying is we are not going to be boxed by anybody or challenges we are not going to be boxed by tradition differences, and we are going to allow our imaginations run wild. We are going to take our role as people who influence society; we are going to take that role very seriously. We are going to impact positively on society. And that’s what we were thinking of when we came up with the theme.”
He further stated that there are already production companies and visual artists that will be showcasing their works for WAF 2021 in two streams.
According to the WAF chief curator Afuevu Onakufe “We have the artists and we have the curated streams. So the arts exhibitions with be physical and virtual, So you can see we are also committed to growing the arts industry by exposing our artists and arts work, so that local and international arts collectors can see the Warri Arts Festival as a hub that fosters exchange and collaborations while telling our stories and promoting our culture.”
The creative Director, Ogoluwa Christine noted that the Festival since inception creates opportunities for artists to perform outside the regular theatre tradition and that the event has been able to create opportunities for artists had over 7, 000 audience members and has had an online reach of about 18,000. Online audience
The Festival was founded by dexodus theatre house foundation in 2019 as part of its ambitions of fostering exchange, collaboration and strengthening relationships between Warri creatives and other state and nations. Warri Arts Festival (WAF) is the largest performing arts festival in Warri and indeed Delta State. It was created to promote the creative and performing arts spaces.The Festival is now managed by the Dexodus theatre house Foundation, a not-for-profit organization.
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