The Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) Presents: SPANFEST 2017

The Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), is pleased to >announce that the 2017 edition of SPANFEST, its weeklong festival and their biggest activity for the year, is scheduled to take place from the 18th – 23rd of November 2017.

Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), is a Non-Governmental Organisation set up in February 2005 with the aim of creating a world standard for performing arts education and expression in Nigeria. SPAN offers exceptional opportunities in dance, music, theatre and visual arts to talented Nigerian youth, by inspiring, training, and empowering them, so that their creativity is unleashed.

One of SPAN’s main objectives is the empowerment of youths with various opportunities through skillset development. In 10 years of existence, we have consistently trained youths with appropriate skills and techniques that can help them build careers as well as facilitate the continuity of African art.

The African people are known to have very rich cultural and artistic expression that have shaped the artistic world for centuries especially in the areas of dance, music, drama and visual art; SPAN takes pride in these forms of art and is committed to its preservation and promotion.

SPAN as its name suggest, is more than just an organisation, it is a community, a haven for the unseen; a society, enabling artists soar beyond their wildest dreams; A bridge bringing together various forms of arts, to ignite life-changing productions.

Through our 12-year journey, we have been recommended and recognised by several international bodies for transformation brought to the Performing Arts Industry especially in the area of Education and presentation. Some of these bodies include: Goethe Institute, Lebanese Ladies Society, South African Consulate, French Consulate, and American Women?s Club.

SPANFEST initially kicked off as an annual festival but presently runs bi-annually (once in 2 years). This year’s event will be the 3rd edition of what is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting contemporary festivals in Nigeria, and it is themed ?My Beat, My City (Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii),? in celebration of this vibrant 50-year-old city Lagos and its citizens. This spectacular show of arts will feature 5 days of intensive Music Dance & Drama workshops and 5 days of mind blowing performance-packed events.

The SPANFEST vision is to continually create a world-class performing arts festival with the mission to train performing artists in music, dance, drama and performing arts management; present thought provoking productions and artists and reward individuals who invested their talents to make transformational changes in the performing arts community.

SPANFEST 2017: My Beat, MY City  (Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii) From the 18th-23rd of November 2017, SPAN will be hosting, for the third time, SPANFest, a performing arts festival which will be a modern day experience of the great ??FESTAC 77??. This year’s festival is themed – My Beat, My City – Iluu Mi, Ilu Mii, which is in celebration of the 50 year old vibrant existence of Lagos State.

The 6-day event which will hold at SPAN Agidigba Community Centre (workshops), The Muri Okunola Park, and The Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria. The festival will be presenting workshops, and events which will showcase performances and presentations in various forms of performing arts including Dance, Music, Spoken Word, Theatre and Dance Competitions.

As part of our plan to take the festival audience on a journey of wonders, SPAN will be bringing together artistes to make ground-breaking presentations. The festival will showcase Nigeria artistes mixed up in an alchemy that will inspire audiences, invigorate artists, stimulate the industry and forge productive relationships around the globe.