By PRISCA SAM-DURU

PREPARATIONS have been concluded for the 3rd edition of “Vision of the Child” which is being organised by the Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Education.

The Vision of the Child,  a component of the yearly Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF) that focuses on the individual vision and artistic inclinations of children in Lagos State, this year, features a painting competition and literary arts  themed “The Rule of Law and the Law of Impunity”.

The Festival holds from April 14  through 21 on Lagos Island and Badagry.

Designed as an interactive test to stretch youthful creativity even more than in previous editions, instead of the uni-disciplinary interpretation of the given theme, participants will be afforded the opportunity to express their vision in both Painting and the Literary Arts.

This year, the competition begins with the literary section which features poem, essay or short story of 300 to 500 words, on the theme while invitation to the festival’s base, Freedom Park, Lagos  will be based on  those who scale through this first hurdle. “They would be provided with brushes, paint and easel and set to illustrate their literary presentation in the complementary medium of Painting.”

According to the organisers of the yearly event, “this is the premiere edition of what can be regarded as a mini Artistic Decathlon, tailored to the capabilities of the child. The Festival already envisages an even more intensive contest, with a disciplinary repertory whose menu will change from edition to edition in the future.”

LBHF invites parents, participating schools and their teachers to the educating programme as Prizes will be presented to the winners by Diamond Bank – co-sponsors of the competition with the Lagos State Government.

As part of the preparation, an exhibition of the paintings from last year’s theme, “The Thousand Faces of Corruption”,  is set to tour selected sites in Nigeria.

The competition is open to children between 9 to 12 years, in any public or private primary or secondary  schools in Lagos State while registration opens from 10th of February 2014 and closes on the 14th of March 2014. The registration forms can be obtained online from the  Black Heritage’s website or through the Festival’s office at the Freedom Park, Lagos.