The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) has committed to not only having children read from the 11 books, but also perform them also for the children audience that will attend the CORA-Nigeria LNG Book Party today. This approach upstages the old practice of using older people books instead and neglecting to have children do it since the books are specially written for them by some of Nigeria’s finest writers plying their trade in the children’s genre. This innovative approach is bound to elicit excitement among the adult and children audience that will be attending the Book Party today at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos from 1:00pm.
According to the CORA, it is the organisation’s way of also “celebrating the mentors and nurturers of the talents of young people in our communities, but who are often not given their due flowers by the society, adding, “We also want to specially celebrate our children and the adolescents who are the resources that the nation needs to harness for the growth of our human capital development”.
To be moderated by an equally young intellectual who started out as a nine-year-old prodigy, Victory Ashaka, the Book Party will be a thrill and feast for the young ones. The six children’s groups billed to read and perform include Gifted Steppers Art Foundation, Kings and Queens Art Academy, The Starkids Academy, iRead Mobile Library Network, The Ovie Brume Foundation and AJ House of Poetry.
Gifted Steppers Art Foundation (GSAF)
Founded in 2017, the GSAF uses the arts to reach out to homeless and disadvantaged children by providing them with shelter, food, clothing and, more importantly, education to change the narrative of their lives for a better tomorrow. Founded by dancer and art activist, Ihuoma Harrison, an orphan herself, who also faced various life challenges while growing up, the foundation aims at educating disadvantaged children and equipping them with the necessary life’s skills to be great art ambassadors. Fondly called Oma, Ihuoma began using the various disciplines of the arts like dance, drama, poetry, music, visual arts, etc to harvest and harness the raw talents of disadvantaged and homeless children. Through the help of the supportive trustees and donors, Gifted Steppers Art Foundation has been responsible for the welfare, accommodation, and education of over 70 children under its care. The troupe has travelled to many states of the federation, and performed at numerous festivals, carnivals and similar events and has won many physical and online competitions. https://web.facebook.com/Giftedsteppers?locale=sw_KE
Kings and Queens Art Academy
Founded in 2014 as a project of the NbariNbajo Community Art Centre to groom young, aspiring artists within Bariga community and environs, the Kings and Queens Art Academy has the vision to use arts as a tool to discover and engage talented children and adolescents, and nurture them through life-changing opportunities that will enhance their academic performances, practice of art, thus making them better, useful persons to their respective communities. Over the years, the focus of Kings and Queens Art Academy and Nbari Nbajo Arts Centre has manifested as a free art school engaging children in Bariga and other communities to participate in after-school performing arts activities and vocational training, attracting young adults and children within the communities. It has participated in various international and local art festivals, and is also part of the KAQUFEST (Kings and Queens Art Festival) — an annual art festival, which runs from May 27 – 29 every year to commemorate Children’s Day in five different slum communities in Lagos. NbarinbajoArt (Instagram). www.kingsandqueensart.org | IG: kingsandqueensart | FB: kingsandQueen
The Starkids Academy
FOUNDED in 2014 by Mustapha Qudus Olanrewju, Star Kids Academy is conceived as a platform to help young talents nurture their creative sides, especially those living in a challenging social environments like Lagos Island and its environs, with a propensity for high crime rate and dangerous for children and young adults alike. The group which started with only five girls has gradually grown into a movement with over a dozen members who meet regularly to learn various performance skills. It is designed as a safe space for kids of all talents, to groom themselves to become responsible youths and adults using their creative talents to empower themselves and make positive influence in their communities. The members have featured in many events, and won several awards, including the Maltina Dance Hall 2014; WAJO; Raw Skillz and God’s Children Great Talent Competition (GCGT). They won the Felabration Afrobics Dance Contest 2017, Ijoya Rumble 2022 and were finalists in the World of Dance 2019 and Grooming Talent Hunt 2022(1st Runner Up). http://starkidscrew.blogspot.com/?m=1 | IG/TikTok @thestarkidsacademy | Facebook: The Starkids Academy.
iRead Mobile Library Network
Founded by Funmi Ilori, a seasoned educator, author and young African leader, iRead’s mobile library service delivers books to children aged 3 to 19 at their doorsteps on a weekly basis either in school or at home, promoting a culture of reading and literacy through activities such as readalouds, book reviews, spelling bees, storytelling, seminars on leadership and life’s skills, camping and bookmobile tours. It recently launched a community library that caters for adult education, after-school activities, vocational training, and digital literacy lessons. Over the years, it has partnered with institutions like the Network of Bookclubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), United Nations Carbon Credit Network (USADF), Green Festival at the Lagos Books and Arts Festival, Lagos State Library Board and Lagos State Office of Education and Quality Assurance. Its services have birthed other innovative projects like iRise Model School, iRead Storywriters’ Academy, iRead e-library, iResource Bookshop, and iRead Library Consulting Services. iRead has a specialized creative writing journal known as My iReflect Journal which is a best-seller as well as several early years workbooks and storybooks.
The Ovie Brume Foundation
Established in 2003 with a vision for a society where everyone is educated and empowered, The Ovie Brume Foundation provides free educational, social and recreational programmes and activities for under-served children from low income homes. It seeks to support its beneficiaries in the attainment of their educational goals, equip them with critical skills and knowledge and provide them with enrichment and development opportunities. Its ultimate goal is to help young people maximise their potential and grow up to be valuable members of society who can contribute to the development of their communities.” (https://oviebrumefoundation.org/en/)
AJ House of Poetry
A literary platform that specialises in creatively engaging young people to develop their literary art skills, AJ House of Poetry’s interest its members in book reading and literary discussions. While poetry writing and performance are at the core of its activities, it mentors young minds in all other genres of creative writing and literary criticism. Since inception, it has continued to advocate for the use of art as an instrument for building the needed consciousness that will rescue young people from negative social vices and as well drive social change. It organises monthly mini-workshops and book discussions as a way to introduce young people within the community to cultivate a sense of reading culture, introduce them to literature, books, and ideas as well as initiate programmes and partner with other creative organisations as part of its aim to solidify the need for a creative community. Founded by the poet, teacher and activist, Aj. Dagga Tolar in Ajegunle, has expanded to university campuses in Makurdi, Benin City, Abeokuta, among others. Its alumni are top in their careers.
Moderator Victory Ashaka
An award-winning spoken word poet, poetry slam champion, climate leader, Lagos State youth ambassador; global youth ambassador of Theirworld, and a member of the young people’s action team of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, Ashaka, now a 21-year-old social impact maker, started out as a 9-year old member of the Vision of The Child (VoTC) project superintendent by the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka. He is now a graduate of English Literature from Lagos State University and a certified leadership fellow from the Management Institute of Finland in Helsinki. He’s a Poet laureate of FAO, featured at the United Nations, on TEDx, Italian Consulate, British Deputy High Commission, UNICEF and many more. Ashaka has just been invited to the United Nations General Assembly by UNICEF to participate and perform as the official poet at the Global Leadership Council (GLC) scheduled for New York City on September 26, 2024.