By Japhet Alakam

The artistic life of Lagosians is bound to be rekindled as the organizing committee of MUSON has put plans in motion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the MUSON Festival of the Arts scheduled to hold in Lagos, from October 14 through 30.

This was disclosed last week in Lagos, by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Kitoye Ibare-Akinsan.

Kitoye who presented a line up of activities for the festival, also disclosed that as part of the 20th festival, MUSON will recognise and give awards to deserving individuals who have contributed to the growth of the centre as well as the sponsors.

The festival which is scheduled to kick off from October 14 will  feature the usual traditional MUSON Festival favourites: My Kind of Music which will feature  Banke Ademola, Ifeoma Fafunwa, Benson Idonije and Yemisi Shyllon-(October 20) ; Chevron Festival Drama: The Wives Revolt – by J. P. Clark directed by Ben Tomoloju  on October 22; Total Festival Opera ,The Bartered Bride by Bedrich Smetana  is on October 23;  MUSON Day Concert and Cocktails is slated for October 25.  Others include, the Musiquest/Youth Concert October 26; Jazz Night, October 28) and a concert that will feature the  MUSON Orchestra conducted by  Walter-Michael Vollhardt on October 30.

Speaking at a media briefing, Chairman of the Organizing Committee who listed part of the  objectives of the Festival, including using the Performing Arts to increase the number and extend the scope of interest of MUSON’s membership and promoting the MUSON Centre as a veritable Centre for the Arts in Nigeria, however lamented that funding has been a major challenge towards the sustaining of the annual festival.

“The greatest challenge that we have faced over the years, in continuing the tradition of staging the Festival annually and ensuring that the scope of each Festival is as broad as possible, is that of finding and retaining sponsors for the planned events,” he explained.  He, therefore,  solicited assistance from corporate organizations and individuals towards making the continued hosting of the festival possible.

Continuing, Ibare-Akinsan further disclosed that the search for new ways of ensuring the survival and continued growth of the festival, led to the policy of inviting outstanding Nigerian stakeholders in the visual and performing arts to collaborate as partners by contributing their quota to the Festival programme.  The objectives are: to give deserving recognition to such stakeholders, broaden the Festival’s appeal and share the increasingly heavy burden of operating alone and that move paid off as   some stakeholders in the art industry will feature in this year’s festival.

They include the Treasure House Ltd with a Visual Arts Exhibition (October 14-30); Declassical Music: ‘’Fela … Arrest the Music – A Musical” (October 14 – 16); SPAN: ‘’Block 13 – Dance Concert” and Workshop (October 21); Ice Nweke:  “Pincode (Stars on Earth)” Dance (October 27)  and Lagos International Poetry Festival: ‘’Poetry & Music Concert (October 29).

On his part, an elated Louis Mbanefo SAN, Vice Chairman of  MUSON and initiator of the Festival  while recalling how the festival started said, “the MUSON Festival is 20 years old! In the same way that the founders of MUSON never dreamt that their modest aspirations to create an avenue for the enjoyment of classical music would blossom into a highly successful organisation. I never dreamt that the experiment of staging a festival in 1997 (during my Chairmanship of MUSON) would lead to 20 consecutive years of highly successful Festivals!”

On the problem of funding, Mbanefo who disclosed how they have been surviving for years observed that “Nigeria Chief Executive Officers do not value art like the foreigners. They do not pay attention to the things that matter in the world, the MUSON is a heritage for Nigeria, it is something that will raise the country’s image. Most of our products are doing well, so we are funding to continue in the business.” Mbanefo further pointed out that the MUSON is a heritage for Nigeria.

In attendance were Francesca Emanuel, Trustee,  Louis Mbanefo SAN, Vice Chairman of  MUSON, Kitoye Ibare-Akinsan, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Gboyega Banjo, General Manager of MUSON, Adeniyi Williams, Trustee and former Chairman, Ayo Ajayi, Director of The Musicala, Ben Tomoloju, Director of drama, Efe Paul Azino, Director of Lagos Poetry festival and others.