During the production of Spectacle: A Musical Folk-Theatre Performance by the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) at the National Theatre in Lagos on Sunday, April 5, the audience could see a different and invigorated troupe on stage. Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, writes on the difference that NTN’s current Artistic Director/CEO, Akin Adejuwon, has made to the troupe.
In his interaction with the media shortly after his appointment Artistic Director/CEO of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) in September last year, Akin Adejuwon talked about his plans for the troupe in September last year.
The head of the parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation was upbeat and clearly undaunted by the talk making the rounds among practitioners whether it was for a lack of dance professionals that he, a fine artist, had been appointed to head the NTN. As a matter of fact, it was one of the issues that came up when the culture journalists he had been addressing had a chance to engage him.
As if he had been expecting that very question, his response had simply been that having worked and even lived with culture icons like Oba Gbenga Sonuga, Demas Nwoko, Professor Wole Soyinka and Dr. Wole Adeniran, he reckoned he was well at home with performing arts.
His actions so far will no doubt put those who were in doubt of his capabilities in his position to shame. He has in barely eight months clearly shown that he is a man to walk his talk, what with the financial crunch that characterised the government since his appointment.
Barely one month in office, Adejuwon convened the maiden edition of the National Troupe of Nigeria’s Stakeholders Forum, which held at the Banquet Hall of the National Theatre on October 30, last year.
In his speech at the gathering that featured Nigeria’s cultural icons from across the country, he had reiterated the plans he had earlier disclosed to culture journalists to include taking the NTN on tour of the 36 states, as well as troupes in conflict areas in the country. His other plans included reinvigorating and repositioning NTN for effective and efficient performing arts and the birthing of two performing arts festivals, one domestic and the other international, this year.
Also, to intensify efforts aimed at popularising the country’s rich cultural heritage through performances that are of high artistic standard.
The plan, he also stated, was to identify major clients for the NTN like the federal government in the form of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the private sector, and the general public.
Not unaware of already mentioned financial challenges, Adejuwon said it was his intention to establish the NTN’s rightful presence in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the seat of government, and all its partner countries among other things. Confessing that the challenges before NTN were quite enormous, he declared that they were however poised to tackle all of them within the limits of the resources available to him and the staff he had so graciously commended.
He had also promised that, to better interact with Nigerians and the world, the NTN’s website would be up and running soon. Those who took that to be the usual promises officials in Nigeria are wont to make were taken aback when a few days later the website came alive. It has remained functional till date at www.ntn.com.ng.
What the NTN under Adejuwon has achieved in the last couple of months shows that there is a clear direction in which the body is heading. For instance, not a few members of the audience would have noticed that performers were bedecked in brand new costumes when they filed out to perform at the April 5 Spectacle production. The uninitiated may count that as nothing, but a lot of people will agree that perception is everything. So, if the troupe appears on the stage in old and tattered costume, there is already a problem with the performance. It also did not take a keen eye to observe that there was a new and eager spirit in the performers, many of who, although cast in several roles, came across so well that it was as if more performers were on the stage that evening. Plus, the audience had a very enjoyable time that though the hall was filled to capacity, some people preferred to stand, rather than go back home.
The tour of which Adejuwon mentioned as being among his plans for the NTN has since started. In fact, the NTN had a tour of three states in November last year. It had been to Kogi, Ekiti and Kwara states, and the tour included a performance at the University of Ilorin and a drama workshop for students of the Department of Theatre Arts of the university conducted by the director in charge of Drama of the National Troupe, Josephine Igberaese, and the Head of Music, Mike Anyanwu.
The NTN had before then performed in Lokoja and at the Igbo Community Hall in Kabba, Kogi State, before heading for Ado Ekiti.
At each point of performance, Adejuwon had reiterated that apart from being his first major foot forward within his vision of making the troupe current, relevant and responsive, the tour, which is planned to cover the 36 states of the country, is a way of showing that there is so much the performing arts can contribute to nation building.
The Artistic Director/CEO had used the opportunity of the tour to talk to the youths interested in the performing arts about the new scheme he was starting at the NTN that will provide free training and exposure to deserving and outstanding performing arts companies around the country.
This year, the NTN has since toured Ijebu-Ode, Ososa both in Ogun State early in March. Adejuwon led the troupe to the estate of the late doyen of theatre, Hubert Ogunde, in Ijebu-Ode and the home of Professor Oduneye in Ososa, both in Ogun State, as a way of appreciating their contributions to the development of the NTN.
At the octogenarian Professor Oduneye’s residence, Adejuwon thanked God for granting him long life and for the wonderful work the don left at the NTN, “which I found and which inspired me when I got there. If I didn’t build on that, I would be lying futile. I thank you for your selfless service.”
It was a delighted Oduneye who welcomed the artistic director and members of the NTN, saying his relationship with the theatre was a long one: “Theatre is my life. I know nothing than spending my life in the theatre. Even before I came to the NTN, I was involved in theatrical performances at the University of Ibadan.”
In Osasa, too, they had received a warm welcome from Hubert Ogunde’s estate. And like they had done in Ijebu-Ode, the National Troupe performed to the delight of the Osasa crowd.
The troupe has also travelled out of the country to perform since Adejuwon became the boss. A recent such performance was last month at the International Festival of Drums and Traditional Arts in Cairo, Egypt, where a delegation of artistes of the troupe participated. Adejuwon had led the delegation that included staff of the culture ministry, saying that it was the third edition of the aimed at promoting peace and unity in Africa and addressing the spate of terrorism in Africa as well as showcasing the rich cultural heritage of.
“Luckily, this is the focus of our productions for this period. Using the performing arts to resolve conflicts and promote peace; that is what we tried to achieve with Ajoyo and then Spectacle which we just staged. So we have worked on a package based on this theme which we will be showcasing at the festival,” he had said.
Indeed, the whole idea of performing for troupes in conflict areas must be aimed at promoting peace. And there are those who would say that apart from performing on the Nigerian Army Remembrance Day, the plan of the NTN has not left the ground yet. But informed from what the artistic director and the NTN have so far achieved, there is no iota of doubt that they are at various stages of those plans.
Do not forget that Adejuwon had stated from the start that his optimism to put the plans in motion for the benefit of Nigerians is dependent on improved funding. For then, they will not only perfect what they have started, but also be able to embark on more programmes to harness the vast culture potentials for the socio-economic transformation of the country.
Before Adejuwon’s appointment as Artistic Director/CEO on Thursday, September 11, 2014, he was a Museum Curator of the Institute of Cultural Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ife, Osun State. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Design from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and a Master of Arts Degree in African Arts Studies of OAU.
Currently the Chairman of the Osun State Chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artistes (SNA) and member of the Nigerian Field Society, he has designed, organised and attended several conferences, seminars and workshops and has curated, coordinated and executed a number of local and internationally acclaimed exhibitions.
A widely travelled artiste, his current research activities include a study on festivals of Yoruba land.
