By Chris Onuoha

A Pan-African network of artists, Arterial Network Nigeria, will on Wednesday December 14, 2016 hold their end-of-year and closing ceremony party which takes place at the old Lagos Island prison yard turned Freedom Park Museum Lagos.

The event which the organisation aims at reviewing the outgoing year and to draw a realistic framework for 2017 will attract members of art industry and art enthusiasts including intending members of Arterial Network.
Activities to mark the occasion will include an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the organisation, Artwatch Africa – the artists’ rights advocacy programme of Arterial Network – a panel of discussants session that include human right and veteran artists – Yomi Animashaun, Partner, Lawshield, Lanre Adebayo, Office of the Public Defender, Lagos State, Ade Bantu, Philomina Ahiable, Artwatch Africa Representative and Executive Director, Human Rights Advocacy Centre Ghana, Aremo Tope Babayemi, Coordinator Artists’ Village, among others.

Featuring as well will be an interactive session between artists and the business community , a ‘Business Meets Creativity’ initiative with representatives from the Bank of Industry, President of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori among others and the topic is themed: “Creative Industry Financing: Bridging the Gap in 2017”.

In a press statement by the National coordinator, Ayodele Ganiu, he said; “Arterial Network as a Pan-African network of artists, arts organisations, creative enterprises and activists has over the years engaged in capacity building, advocacy, research, cultural policy and information dissemination. The year 2016 has been one with several accomplishments for Arterial Network in Nigeria. This event would be a moment of assessment and restructuring of template for the next year 2017.

We also intend spreading tentacles farther in terms of membership drive and taking campaigns further on assignments within the ambits of the Network’s mandates.
“Other activities during the event will be a reception for 2016 Cultural Management Programme (CMP) graduates drawn from Lagos and Port Harcourt will be issued certificate of participation.” Ganiu said.

Arterial Network is represented in Nigeria by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), formally registered as CORA Arts & Cultural Foundation. It is a pan-African network of artists with its continental secretariat in Cape Town, South Africa. The organisation has official national chapters in 20 countries and wide representation in other parts of Africa.