By Prisca Sam-Duru

The Duke of Shomolu Foundation, in collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Art and Culture, is gearing up to host the much-anticipated Ekiti Theatre Festival.

Billed to take place this August, the groundbreaking festival is poised to become the country’s largest indigenous theatre event as it promises a five-day of theatre feast, multiple venues and a line-up of 10 plays.

It’s not just about the performances, according to Prof Ojo Bakare, Ekiti State Commissioner of Arts and Culture, the festival will also showcase exhibitions, seminars, tours, and sports activities, making it a holistic cultural experience for attendees.

Prof. Bakare said the festival which is estimated to gulp about N200 million naira will be funded by the private sector through the instrumentality of Joseph Edgar the festival producer who doubles as the chairman of the Duke of Shomolu Foundation.

With an expected influx of 200,000 visitors, the festival is primed to inject a staggering N5 billion into the economy, benefitting both private and public sector stakeholders across the state.

On the sustainability of the Ekiti Theatre festival, Prof Bakare said the foundation led by Edgar will run the festival for five years consistently; from 2024 to 2029.

“We envisage that as we go ahead it will become bigger in scope. For this year, we are going to have 10 plays. We will be starting with the “Kashimawo” performance. We will have 8 other performances from universities offering theatre art within the state and our theatre associations based in Ekiti,” he said.
He also noted that there will be nights of short plays, “Each local government within the state can come and perform short plays not more than 7 minutes. Some performances will be held in Ado-Ekiti, and some will be held at the iconic tourism resort Ikogosi. The festival would be rounded off with a performance of the popular play Fajuyi.”

Renowned theatre practitioner Yemi Shodimu leads the charge as Festival Director, ensuring a diverse and engaging program that celebrates Ekiti’s cultural heritage. In addition, the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service has stepped up as a major partner, underlining the collaborative efforts driving this initiative forward.

Briefing the media during the week at the National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos, Joseph Edgar hinted Journalists that the Ekiti Theatre Festival birthed after the phenomenal outing with the play “Fajuyi” in the state. “When we went with Fajuyi we saw the potential of that state, and what we can do in the area of tourism, and revenue generation using theatre, that was where the idea of Ekiti Theatre Festival came up,” he stated.
Edgar added, “We don’t look at theatre art only in terms of culture and traditions but as something that can be used to achieve a lot economically, and in terms of job creation, and infrastructural development. That is why I usually push for productions with large casts. Our target is to work with 20,000 actors in this festival.”
Edgar also said that they will engage experts who understand the space in bringing the festival alive stressing, “We are going to be working with all the hotels in the state, the airlines, and the banks. We will use Ekiti as the first case, after Ekiti, we will go to other states.”