New Telegraph

Runsewe unveils Nigeria’s first drive-in open theatre forum

In continuation of his engagement with the public and keeping the arts and culture space active, the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has launched Nigeria’s first drive – in theatre forum as part of the ‘new normal’ platforms being engineered by his agency in the promotion of its mandate.

With this year’s National Art and Culture Festival (NAFEST) billed to hold in Jos, Plateau State in October, the newly introduced platform may just be a test runner for adoption towards successful hosting of the festival, which is expected to attract participation of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The drive – in open air theatre forum, which was unveiled in the open ground of Abuja Sheraton Hotel recently was witnessed by many personalities, with over 18 foreign countries represented, including the ambassadors of Trinidad and Tobago, Venuzuela, India, Pakistan and China,and guests of the hotel.

The attendees were treated to a new experience by the artistic performance of the dramatic troupe engaged while all the health and hygiene protocols initiated for COVID – 19 were followed to the letter, which included the fumigation of the grounds before and after the event, wearing of face mask, social distancing and washing of hands with facilities for that purpose located at different spots. Besides, the dedicated viewing pavilions for the audience, few cars were allowed into the grounds and parked at designated spots were the occupants were strategically connected to a special programme frequency for sound, while the grounds was dotted with over 40 conveniences for guests use.

The theatre stage was well illuminated and centralised, making for visibility from any spot within the grounds while the artistes also observed social distancing during the live performance. The guests were also treated to light freshmen with a lot munchies and drinks, with staff of the hotel taking on this task.

The event was beamed live on NCAC zoom, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms while a number of television stations also aired the event live. Runsewe expressed delight at the successful introduction of this innovative platform while thanking the audience for taking part in the event, which he said has further revealed to the world that Nigeria is opened for economic and tourism activities.

“We are a big country and we shall continue to prepare and not relax. COVID – 19 may have impacted on the cultural tourism businesses worldwide but in Nigeria, we are back on the beat, we are going to overcome challenges and put the right foot forward. A country with 36 states and a federal capital, ready to come together in a cultural show of force slated for Jos in October, cannot take anything for granted.”

he said. On the event, he stated that: “Each performance comes up at the end with a dedicated video playback of selected destinations and iconic cultural offerings to spice additional information about any state on showcase. We also got the Nigerian media backing because we understand the reach and usefulness of keeping the government and people informed of how ready we are in this whole process.”

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