“Festac ’77” hits 40th anniversary

The Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, has said that there are plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Arts and Culture, ‘Festac ’77,’ come 2017. Anikwe who unveiled the line-up of activities for the week-long celebration, on Friday in Lagos, said,  “‘Festac 77 at 40’ […]

The Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, has said that there are plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Arts and Culture, ‘Festac ’77,’ come 2017.

Anikwe who unveiled the line-up of activities for the week-long celebration, on Friday in Lagos, said,  “‘Festac 77 at 40’ will provide a veritable platform for Nigerian artists to showcase their talents to the world, especially blacks in the Diaspora.”

The CBAAC boss who said, the First World Blacks and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac) held in 1977 in Lagos at the National Theatre, also said: “the event, would kick off at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, would celebrate everything that represents the Nigerian culture, both at home and the Diaspora.

“‘Festac ‘77 at 40’ will be a huge and mega celebration of our arts, crafts, relics, monuments and cultural practices. We will have a large portion of land where a good number of artists will come and do, sell and teach their crafts.

“The carvers, sculptors, tie and dye makers, bead stringers, weaver and more will be accommodated,” Anikwe said.

Speaking on some of the highlighjts of the anniversary celebration, Anikwe said, there would be nights of memories when clips of ‘Festac ‘77’ would be played to bring back memories from the monumental celebration of blacks and African cultural heritage.

He said: “We want to re-enact Festac ‘77 and encourage young artists to take up opportunities provided by Festac. The nights of memories will be done at different locations in the country.

“The events promise to educate Nigerians of the happenings then and the nights of memories would do justice to that.”