For all Artists....

Okay, we agree that we get entangled with books a lot of the time. Here's a post for artists...we hope you apply.

F.I.A – 2010/2011

From October 11th 2010 till March 31st 2011

A interdisciplinary artistic investigation deeply rooted in the Studies of the Body. A period of 6 months dedicated to a practical daily work which promotes the arising of essential questions brought by each individual in her/his own investigation. This daily work includes reflection and discussion. Through it the proposals developed by each creator will come to form allowing a growing understanding and a profound knowledge of the matter under investigation.

F.I.A is organized in blocs of practical work focusing on the Body (sensation, perception, movement, relation) tangled with proposals guided by professionals from different artistic and scientific backgrounds (dance, writing, video, sound art, philosophy, anthropology, biology, body theory). At the same time each person is individually coached, having dialogues with the tutors and producing papers that are presented to the collective for feedback. During these six months of practical work each creator should find the ways that better suit him in the process of sharing with others the questions of his current investigation. The final public communication will assume the form that each creator considers adequate as an exercise fitted to the matter of study.

Applications from April 5th till September 3rd 2010.

More information here

Jero Plays @Terrakulture

In the month of July (every Sunday), Theatre@Terra presents The Jero Plays written by Wole Soyinka & Directed by Wole Oguntokun

Date:  04 July - July 25, Time: 3pm and 6pm

Location: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage St, Victoria Island, Lagos

Theatre@Terra presents its 4th "Annual Season of Wole Soyinka Plays" every Sunday in July featuring the comedies "The Trials of Brother Jero" and "Jero's Metamorphosis"

Sure this would be fun...see you there!

Filming Against All Odds...Call for Papers

We are aware that some very academic people read this blog ;) This is for you! The call is based on a very interesting topic; we hope you love it enough to participate as much as we were drawn to it to put it up for you :-)

Filming Against All Odds, Indaba on 50 Years of Film in Independent Africa 

African Media Centre, University of Westminster, London, UK / LONDON 

AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

Filming Against the Odds Conference, London, 27-28 November 2010

This is a call for papers from the African Media Centre at the University of Westminster for a one-day conference on 50 years of filmmaking in independent Africa. A half a century ago, Sub-Saharan Africa welcomed independence with a wave of optimism. A new cinema was born, championed by the Senegalese film-maker Ousmane Sembène. This new cinema would provide a conduit of expression for voiceless Africans – revealing social conditions and sharing stories. Sembène's first short film, Borom Sarret, was a watershed. 

It reached a worldwide audience with a plot based on the tale of a poor cart driver whose tragic life mirrored the hazards facing many ordinary people. Borom Sarret's issues became dominant themes in African cinema. Prior to political independence, colonial rule did not allow Africans to make their own films. African independence seems to have given the environment needed to produce African stories on the screen. Not only was political independence a subject in films, but the environment it created gave an added impetus to both independent and institutionally supported film-making in Africa. 

African filmmakers have produced stories that celebrate success and failure in their societies. African history, language and etymology are evident in the ways in which some filmmakers have sought an independent form to help indigenize the medium. 

Today, Nigeria has become the centre of a lucrative home video industry known as Nollywood. According to a recent UN statement, around 900 titles are released in Nigeria each year and bring revenue of about £100m, and Nigeria has surpassed Hollywood to become the world's second largest film producer after Bollywood. Movies are made on the cheap and copies are exported, sold on the street, or distributed via increasing numbers of video clubs. The film-makers have to work fast and around the clock in their desperate attempt to fend off the pirates. 

The contemporary African film industry is clearly of global proportions. 

However, the questions that must be asked are: whose languages are spoken in African film? 

What are the patterns of stories that have been told so far? 

What formats do African filmmakers use? 

What themes? 

How has funding affected what is produced? 

What are the politics of film-making in Africa? 

Apart from development, education and entertainment, has film on the continent advanced the emancipation of Africans? 

What has been the relationship between political independence and African film? 

The conference will include a session with leading African filmmakers. Papers may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

- Precolonial film in Africa

- Contemporary and historical dimensions of film in Africa

- Language and African film

- African languages and film in Africa

- Global, national, local aspects of film in Africa

- Screen media Africa

- Identity politics and the media in Africa

- Film funding in Africa

- Educational film in Africa

- Politics and film in Africa

- Distributing films in Africa

- Style and aesthetics of African film

- History of African film

- Film audiences in Africa

Please e-mail your 200-word abstract to Helen Cohen at: journalism@westminster.ac.uk All submissions must include the title of the conference, topic, an abstract and should list the author’s full name, with contact information and affiliation. 

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 31 July 2010 and those whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by 5 August 2010.

Submissions Calendar...

Here are a couple of outlets to speak through. Follow the links; mark your diary; write the stories; send them in. Wait for a response...hmmm, that waiting we all do not like. All the best!

Sentinel Nigeria now accepts entries in the following genres; Poetry, Prose, Drama, Essays and Reviews and Graphic Arts. Send submissions via email to: Richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org

Together with a 100 word bio and a compressed Jpeg format photo of you. Full details of this call will be found athttp://www.sentinelnigeria.org/submission-guidelines.php

More information contact: Richard U. Ali: Richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org 

Editor-in-Chief, Sentinel Nigeria Magazine

Administrator www.sentinelnigeria.org

Bwari Village

Abuja, Nigeria

08062392145

Open Wide Magazine

Now taking submissions of poetry and fiction for issue twenty-four! See website for submission guidelines - www.openwidemagazine.co.uk and click on 'connect'.

Wanted - your books for review. If you have recently had a work published and would like one of our team to review it, then please get in touch. Email connect@openwidemagazine.co.uk and tell us about your book and yourself. 

Saraba Mag

Send your work in an attachment in any of our three major categories: Fiction, Poetry and Non-Fiction. Send no more than one work at a time, and wait for our response before you send another. Word count for fiction works is 5,000, except for our annual story issue. We’d accept no more than 3 poems at a time. For Non-fiction, we expect a broad range of new creative writing, including short memoirs, interviews, reviews, creative non-fiction, creative journalism, etc. Word count for this is 2,500.

We are also open to digital art including photographs, illustrations, paintings and so forth. Please send in high resolution jpeg files (not larger than 4 MB).

Please send alongside a bio of not more than 50 words (in third person)

Although we strive to highlight the talent and hard work of contributors, please note that we cannot afford to pay contributors.

Send your entries to the following addresses:

poetry@sarabamag.com. (Poetry)

fiction@sarabamag.com. (Fiction)

nonfiction@sarabamag.com. (Non-Fiction and Digital Art)

Entries sent to any other of our addresses would not be considered. 

Queries can be sent to sarabamag@gmail.com or publishers@sarabamag.com.

More information here. 

Bookjam@Silverbird

“The BookJam @ Silverbird” is a monthly event that consists of book readings, discussions, musical performances, poetry recitals, book signings and a raffle draw. The BookJam is hosted by A. Igoni Barrett and the Silverbird Lifestyle store.

The 6th edition of “The BookJam @ Silverbird” will hold between 3 to 5 pm on Saturday 24 July, 2010 at the Silverbird Lifestyle store, Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos. 

The guest writers are:

• Helon Habila, author of Waiting for an Angel

• Madeleine Thien, author of Certainty

• Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of Nervous Conditions

• Unoma Azuah, author of Sky-High Flames

Admission to the BookJam is free. Members of the audience who purchase books during the event stand a chance to win a special prize in a raffle draw.

For more information send an email to auggustmedia@gmail.com.

CCA Lagos Summer Calendar

Until 21st July: Pret a Partager featuring the works of 17 artists, photographers, fashion designers from across Africa and Germany continues in 3 venues: Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, Sabo, Yaba College of Art and Technology, Yaba and African Artist Foundation, Ikoyi. Presented in collaboration with Goethe Institute, Lagos

From 19th to 21st July : NSK Passport Video Interviews. Still time to participate, call 08034392413 for your time 30min time slot. Supported by Goethe Institute, Lagos

From 26th - 31st July: Double Consciousness:NSK Passport Project. An exhibition, roundtable discussions and screening featuring internationally renowned Slovenian artist collective IRWIN (3 members will be in lagos) international respected scholar and curator, and director of new media art centre HMKV Dr. Inke Arns, performance artist and sculptor Jelili Atiku as well as independent curator Bisi Silva. Curated and moderated by Hansi Momodu, MA candidate, Curating Contemporary Art, Royal College of Art, London and adjunct assistant curator, CCA,Lagos. Supported by Goethe Institute, Lagos

July 25th and August 1st: Art-iculate, Lecture series on contemporary art and visual culture features two Sunday afternoon lectures by Chika Okeke-Agulu, US based Nigerian art historian, curator and associate professor of art history, Princeton University. His first lecture will be about the curatorial framework of the current exhibition project “Who Knows tomorrow ” at at the Nationalgalerie, Berlin, followed by a 2nd lecture “The Art and Politics of Ghada Amer.”

The lectures are made possible by the Class of ’59 Faculty Fund, Princeton University.

Flair Magazine Talent Seminar

On the 24th of July, something would be happenning in Lagos that all creative people should not miss: The Flair Talent Seminar. It is organised by former True Love West Africa Magazine now known as Flair West Africa Magazine.

Time: 09:00 - 21:30

Venue: The B center Micheal's Restaurant, Opposite Ocean View resturant,

Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island

THEME: THE BUSINESS SIDE OF TALENT (how do you make money from being talented in the entertainment industry in Nigeria). certificates will be collected at the end of the event. You can register on www.naira.com or at the venue, early registration attracts free gifts.

Registration fee is N1,000 then text details of teller, full name and email address to 08074444373

Cash payable at any GTB bank with the following account details. 214783096111 (FLAIR PRODUCTIONS LIMITED) Teller details should be sent to: flairwestafrica@gmail.com or jennifer@flairwestafrica.com  or call 08074444373

The event will have the following facilitators:

OLUCHI ONWEAGBA ORLANDI (O MODELS SOUTH AFRICA )

SOLA OYEBADE (MAHOGANY MODELS LONDON)

BAYO HAASTRUP( IJADE EGBIN )

LOLU AKINWUNMI (PRIMA GARNET)

KELECHI- AMADI OBI (KAO)

DAYO ADENEYE (KENNIS MUSIC)

KUNLE AFOLAYAN( GOLDEN EFFECTS)

WALE SODADE (WALE RUBBER)

BOLA ATTA (FLAIR WEST AFRICA) 

Hope to see you there!

NFC Essay Contest

Apologies for not posting for days...you know how the rains affect the internet :( Bad combo it is!

The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has called for entries for its 2010/2011 annual film essay competition. Submission of entries for the competition with ‘Film: A Tool for Socio-Cultural Integration and Tourism Promotion’ as its topic, will open on July 1 and close on August 31, 2010.

The competition, is open to people aged 18 and above only. 

Essays to be considered must have a minimum of 10 pages and a maximum of 15 pages. They should be typed double space with Calibri font type, 14 point size and on A4 paper.

Hard copies of entries can be submitted to the headquarters of the NFC at 213T, Liberty Dam Road, Jos, Plateau State or its offices in Lagos, Abuja and Kano. The NFC’s Lagos office is located at the National Theatre Annex while its Abuja office is on the First Floor, Shippers Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. NFC is within the State secretariat in Kano. Entries can also be sent by e-mail to md_nfc@hotmail.com

All the best people!

Olufemi Terry Wins 2010 Caine Prize

Sierra Leone's Olufemi Terry has won the 2010 Caine Prize for African Writing, described as Africa's leading literary award, for 'Stickfighting Days' from Chimurenga vol 12/13, Cape Town. The Chair of Judges, The Economist's Literary Editor Fiammetta Rocco, announced Olufemi as the winner of the £10,000 prize at a dinner held this evening (Monday 5 July) at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Fiammetta Rocco said "ambitious, brave and hugely imaginative, Olufemi Terry's 'Stickfighting Days' presents a heroic culture that is Homeric in its scale and conception. The execution of this story is so tight and the presentation so cinematic, it confirms Olufemi Terry as a talent with an enormous future."

Born in Sierra Leone to a Sierra Leonean father and an Antillean mother, Terry grew up in Nigeria, the UK and Cote d'Ivoire, studied at the New York University (earning a B.A. in Political Science in 1994 and a Masters degree in Interactive Telecommunications in 2002) and has lived in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, working as a journalist and editor with The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the World Health Organisation, and the World Bank. In 2008 he earned an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. He now lives in Cape Town and is completing work on his first novel.

With this win, Terry joins a distinguished list of Caine laureates, including Nigerians EC Osondu (2009), Segun Afolabi (2005), Helon Habila (2001), Kenyan Binyavanga Wainaina (2001) and Ugandan Monica arac de Nyeko (2007). Apart from the cash prize, the win also comes with a month-long writing residency at Georgetown University.

The Caine Prize, established in 2000, celebrates short stories of between 3,000 and 10,000 words by African writers, and is one of the continent's most prestigious literary awards. Its patrons are the three African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, as well as Chinua Achebe.