ON October 1, the National Theatre came alive as a mammoth crowd made up of both young and old, students and pupils, suckling and lovers, who occupied every nook and cranny of its perimeter, overflowed the main road close to the entrance gate, forcing vehicles to park wherever there was space.

The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) in collaboration with The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) last week, again demonstrated its readiness to meet its mission of taking art to another level of relevance with the successful hosting of the 1st International Convention on Art and Development (CONADEV), 2010.

AS part of activities marking the 50th independence anniversary of Nigeria, Street Art Gallery in collaboration with Rock View Hotel, Apapa penultimate week presented a 3 day anniversary exhibition titled ,Cultural Tales: 50th Independence Art Exhibition.

A STAFF of Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization,(CBAAC), Dr. Taiwo Oladokun has been awarded the 2010 University of London Post- doctoral Fellowship in African Studies. Based in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University, the fellowship will give Dr. Oladokun the opportunity of furthering his research at SOAS for the next three months.

As part of its commitment to promoting excellence in the arts and in celebrating great writers, Cadbury Nigeria Plc sponsors of Cadbury / ANA Poetry Prize last week at its corporate office at Agidingbi, Ikeja presented the new upgraded prize of USD2,500.00 to the multiple award winning writer, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo of the University of Lagos for winning the 2009 Cadbury / ANA Poetry Prize.

“We started from half of a table,” he says, a smile playing on his lips as he reminisces this Monday afternoon at his swank off Allen Avenue office, Ikeja, Lagos. “One of the junior lawyers would be using half the table, I would be using the other half. Gradually, I graduated from using half a table to a full table.” And he was the only staff! It was not until the third year that he got a youth corper to assist him. Together they continued the job and as the operation expanded they recruited a full time staff. Glad about the progress he was making, their benefactor gave them an entire room and a second one when they began acquiring equipment.

AS part of celebrations of Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary on October 1, OHTV, HITV UK and Hi Nolly have partnered to put together a phenomenal celebration of the most populous country in Africa’s history, unity, diversity and strengths in an inspiration and positive all-day television format for Nigerians in Africa, North America and Europe.

It was home coming for Africans in the continent and the entire black race last week as the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation in conjunction with Pan African Strategic and Research Group, (PANAFSTRAG) hosted another successful three day international colloquium, which re- examined black’s pan African agenda reports, McPhilips Nwachukwu

The just concluded two weeks visual arts tour of Nigerian arts, which took place in the two Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria under the auspices of the National Gallery of Arts, NGA was in every sense a fait accompli.

Yesterday at the MUSON Centre , Lagos, the Nigerian art community, again witnessed a flurry of activities as the 3rd edition of the Nigerian International Art Expo kicked off in earnest.

In line with its mission to uphold excellence and ensure the highest professional standards in the practice of Visual Art in Nigeria, The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos last week opened her maiden exhibition of Water Colours, Pastels and Drawings.

Before the advent of the colonizers, what is today known as Nigeria was a cacophony of peoples and cultures engaged in the art of living according to their peculiar circumstances and destinies. It was Lord Lugard, the first colonial Governor-General of the area, who facilitated the amalgamation of the so-called Southern and Northern Protectorates to create one entity called Nigeria. His very imaginative wife proffered the name Nigeria and composed the first national anthem for the new nation.

Impressed by the turn out of children at the inaugural National Troupe of Nigeria Creative Station project, the management of the troupe has assured that the exercise will be held on a regular basis as a way of developing the imaginative skills of children.

Helon Habila, Nigerian born US-based award winning novelist and first Chinua Achebe Fellow was home recently and took his turn on Abuja Writers Forum’s Hot Seat. The occasion was the Forum’s monthly guest writer’s session for the month of July which held at its usual venue – the Pen and Pages Bookshop on the very last day of the month. Habila, whose new novel is on the Niger Delta conundrum is being keenly awaited by literary buffs, read ‘The Hotel Malogo’, a short story to the packed hall.

The Mazonia Suite of Eko Hotels and Suites was the venue and the event was the second edition of the annual book party organised by CORA. The event which was in honour of the eleven playwrights whose works were short listed for the prestigious $50,000.00 prize instituted by NLNG lived up to its bidding as the literary community once more gathered to celebrate the playwrights despite the non award of the prize to a winner last year.