WSICE (1OTH - 15TH JULY 2015)

It kicks off today; The leading Caribbean storyteller, Theodora Ulerie aka Auntie Thea-The Mystic Storyteller begins the WSICE Junior Secondary School Workshops today. Our own Mrs Noma Sodipo aka Auntie Noma joins her on Monday 13th July in workshops and mentoring session with all students participating in WSICE Essay competition at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange 2015

Open Door Series brings to you from the Diaspora, a leading Caribbean storyteller, Theodora Ulerie aka Auntie Thea-The Mystic Storyteller from Trinidad and Tobago and from Nigeria, Mrs. Noma Sodipo aka Auntie Noma, founder and anchor of the popular children TV programme, Story Time with Auntie Noma. 

These two tested and core professionals will help us realise the objectives of the project. They will run workshops and mentoring sessions with junior secondary schools students from Ogun State and also 81 students from over 20 states of the federation.

The First Lady of Ogun State, Her Excellency, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun will also be there to mentor over 500 secondary school students brought together from Ogun State and other states of the federation on the importance of education and imbibing moral lessons of patriotism and discipline.

81 students from across the country represent the finalists in the annual essay competition, which will focus on the theme “Justice & Freedom: Essential Conditions for Humanity”.

WOLE SOYINKA INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROJECT 2015

-The 2015 edition of the yearly Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange(WSICE) project has been scheduled to hold from July 12 through the 14^th. The annual programme was initiated in 2010 and debuted on the 76^th birthday anniversary ofthe Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka as the “quintessential artist and symbol of our humanity”, according to the promoters of the project,Nigeria-based ZMirageMultimedia Company and US-based GlobalNewHaven.

Unlike previous editions in which activities held in Lagos, Ogun and Osun State,

events for this year’s edition will hold exclusively in Abeokuta, Ogun State,
where the Nobel laureate resides. Remarkably too, the organisers plan to

concentrate the activities in the neighbourhood of the Ijegba Forest Residence

of Soyinka, and at the Ogun State Cultural Centre, Kuto.

The theme for the year is: JUSTICE AND FREEDOM: ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS FOR HUMANITY, and according to the organisers, “these are the two fundamental concerns of the Nobel laureate in his career of promoting better humanity not only in his

literary writings but also in his intervention in local and global socio-cultural and political discourses.”

WSICE is the core project of the The Open Door Series promoted by Alhaji Teju-Kareem-led Zmirage and Professor Segun Ojewuyi-led GlobalNewHaven, and it has been staged every

year since 2010 when Soyinka was 76. Last year witnessed the grand fifth edition, which marked the 80^th birthday anniversary of Prof. Soyinka. 

While the 2014 fifth anniversary edition was a grand parade of drama, poetry, music, painting exhibition and variety youth programmes in honour of Soyinka’s 80^th birthday, this sixth edition marking his 81^st, has redesigned in terms of performance features. The, 2015 project will focus on STORYTELLING – “as a resourceful art form that is an integral part of the socialisation process of an average African personality”, stated the Executive Producer, Teju Kareem. “Our theme is STORYTELLING & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, and this is designed to address our observations that in an era when the society continues to drastically lose its moral values, due to vagary of factors including improper and inadequate child upbringing and chaotic educational system, we believe that a full exploration and exploitation of the power of Storytelling in parental upbringing and as well as school activities could help to inculcate moral values in our young ones”.

He continues: “We also reckon that Wole Soyinka is essentially a Storyteller as will be seen

in his poetry, drama, songs and even public commentary through which he has grossly affected our lives and those of other peoples around the world in past six decades and more.”

Stated Kareem, “to realise the objective of the core International Cultural Exchange dimension of the project, we have identified two international reputable experts who

engage storytelling to teach and mentor young ones, and have made tremendous impacts on the socialisation process in their respective stations. From the Diaspora is the Caribbean leading storytelling performer, Theodora Ulerie aka Anty Thea (Trinidad and Tobago) and from Nigeria, Mrs. Noma Sodipo, founder and anchor of the popular children TV programme, StoryTime with Auntie Noma (Nigeria).  These two tested and core professionals will help us realise the objectives; they will run workshops and mentorship sessions with junior secondary schools drawn from Ogun State, and 81 senior secondary school students from across the country. The 81 from across the country represent the finalists in the annual essay competition, which will focus on the theme of the celebration “Justice & Freedom: Essential Conditions for Humanity”.

A core aspect of the yearly project is the Student mentorship programme during which the

First Lady of Ogun State, Her Excellency, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun yearly counsel the gathering of hundreds of students drawn from Ogun State and rest of the country on the importance of education and imbibing moral lessons of patriotism and discipline. In the past three editions she has mentored over 10000 students in Nigeria and also in London, where she was a Guest of Honour in 2013. Two editions ago the First lady of Osun, Her Excellency, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola and the Deputy Governor, of the State, Otunba Grace Titi-Laoye also mentored over 1000 students drawn from Osun, and the 79 finalists in the year’s essay competition.

Stressing on the objective of the ICE, Kareem stated: “We in ZMirage and GlobalNewHaven -- believing firmly in the educative as well as entertaining functions of theatre and literary arts -- have resolved to consistently commit time, energy and huge financial resources to this project so that the Arts, especially Theatre, can once again take pride of place in Nigeria and the world. The primary focus for us is the cultural exchange value of the project, which enables us reach out to the world, giving and receiving artistic contents that can change and enrich lives.

The Executive Producer revealed that much of the activities will be held in the 850-seater site-specific Amphitheatre installed last year to host the presentation of Soyinka’s epic, Dance of the Forests as directed by Tunde Awosanmi, head of department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan.  The idea of staging much of the events in the forest theatre, noted Kareem, is to stress the educational and touristic virtues of the project. “We want the children to start identifying with the importance of such touristic facilities, and as well to have a feel of the grand model that Soyinka is by paying visit to his residential enclave”.

This year’s WSICE will be produced by Ms Haneefat Ikharo,  Theatre Arts graduate of the University of Benin. She took over from the pioneer producer, Lillian Amah, a writer, actress and producer.

The breakdown of the year’s programme are as follows:

EVENT LINE-UP / SCHEDULE

10^th – 12^th July, 2015 (Friday to Sunday)

1.     Aunty

Thea Story telling

Workshop

A 3-day workshop for Junior Secondary Schools

12^th July, 2015. (Sunday)           

1.     Arrival of 81 students and key

officials

2.     Accreditation of students

3.     Arrival of Judges

13^th July, 2015 (Monday)

1.     Live essay writing at the Cultural

Centre (8am – 10am)

2.     Story telling Workshop for the 81

Finalists with Auntie Thea and Auntie Noma

3.     81 Students Party at the Lodge

(Evening/Night)

14^th July, 2015 (Tuesday)

1.     Visit to the Governor of Ogun State

2.     Announcement of Winner and Presentation

of trophy

3.     Youth Mentorship (81 Finalists) with Prof. Wole Soyinka at Ijegba

4.     Do Your Own Thing (includes students

talent show, spelling bee, poetry etc. and the Mentoring session by the First

Lady, Her Excellency, Mrs. Olufunsho

Amosun) at Ijegba / Cultural centre

5.     International Cultural Exchange: Storytelling &

Youth Development – Conversation

between Home & the Diaspora  -- Theodora

Ulerie (Aunty Thea) and Noma Shodipo

(Aunty Noma) – to hold at the Amphitheatre in the Ijegba Forest.

6.     Performances by Ogun State Cultural Troupe; Jimi Solanke; & Yinka Ola-Williams at the AmphiTheatre

in the  Ijegba Forest.

15^th July, 2015 (Wednesday)

Departure of 81 students, guests and officials.

Sgnd: Haneefat Ikharo,

Producer, WSICE 2015