The Engr Mufutau & Christie Oseni Poetry Prize for Students set to launch at LABAF 24.0
*Endowed by the broadcast journalist, Rufai Oseni in honour of his late parents
To further deepen the interests of youths in the arts, particularly especially literature, the Committee for Relevant Art, CORA, will on November 18, 2022 launch a Poetry prize for students in the Junior Secondary School, JSS.
To be awarded annually, and named the ‘Engr MufutauAlarape and Christie Poetry Prize for Junior Secondary School Students, the prize is endowed by the popular broadcast journalist and media entrepreneur, Rufai Oseni,in honour of his parents, the late Engr Mufutau and Christie Oseni.
At a recently-held day of tribute for his late dad, Osenihad formally announced the birth of the prize, while recalling how his father, “was a man that loved life, love arts, a lot of dancing and poetry and loved to have a good time.”
To be formally unveiled at the 24th edition of the Lagos Book & Arts Festival (LABAF) holding November 14 – 20, 2022, the annual Prize is intended for junior secondary school students (JSS) and the maiden edition will be unveiled on Day 5 of the Festival Friday, November 18, which is the first day of the annual three-day Green Festival, jointly organised by the CORA and its partner, the Children & the Environment, CATE.
According to Rufai Oseni, the annual event “would involve secondary schools students delivering poetry renditions and the winner will be given a prize money and technical support to hone the skills, as well publishing of the winning poem in the poetry corner of media outlet, VeoNewsng”, and other publications.
The 24th LABAF is dedicated to celebrating the eminent life and distinguished career of the renowned visual artist and teacher, Bruce Onobrakpeya on his attainment of age 90 (August 30).
The Green Festival is in its 17th edition, and it involves students in both Junior and Secondary schools being mentored on the importance of education to meaningful, productive life and a brighter future. The activities include workshops and mentoring sessions on book reading, writing, performances, arts and craft making, public speaking etc. Significantly, the students are also motivated to be committed to the cause of preservation of the environment, hence the name ‘Green Festival’, as conceived by CATE.
NB: Note on LABAF & CORA next page
ABOUT LABAF: Launched in September 1999, LABAF is a 24-year-old comprehensive week-long culture picnic. It features reading sessions, conversations around ‘content and context of books’, art and craft displays, children/students art workshops, Publishers-Booksellers-Writers-Readers’ Forum, Writers’ workshops, Book Trek, Book exhibitions, Drama skits, Live music, Poetry and Dance performances.
It is an ART festival with high BOOK content. LABAF has over the years transformed from a Literary Festival to being a campaign for LITERACY – stressing on EDUCATION (knowledge acquisition which leads to mental capacitation), that guarantees ENLIGHTENMENT and ultimately leads to EMPOWERMENT that ensures active participation of the citizenry in discourses around the social, political, economic and cultural affairs of the nation, and the world by extension. All of this is premised on tapping into the instrumentality of ARTS and CULTURE production and expression to deepen CIVIC engagement.
ABOUT CORA: The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) came to life on June 2, 1991. It’s a cultureactivist organisation with the agenda to facilitate creation of an enabling environment for the flourishing of the contemporary arts of Nigeria, in the forms of Literature, Theatre, Fine Art, Music, Movie as well as TV Programme Design and Production. In the past three decades,
Winner of the Prince Claus Award for Culture and Development (2006), CORA has been at the forefront of championing the major issues that have shaped – directly or otherwise – the cultural landscape of Nigeria. Some of the most forward-looking initiatives in the Nigerian culture environment came out of CORA-organised fora. With a mission stated as To Create Enabling Environment for the Flourishing of the Contemporary Arts of Nigeria & the Continent, and Vision To Make Art & Culture the Prime Destination for Investment in Nigeria and Africa, CORA has carried out its intermediation role through the vehicle of its various programmes, projects and activities including the following: ARTS STAMPEDE (quarterly since 1991); LABAF (annually since 1999); ARTHOUSE FORUM (periodic since 2005); LAGOS CINEMA CARNIVAL (on rest) and the LAGOS THE CITY ARTS GUIDE (on rest).
The CORA also convenes regular sessions of Lagos Circle of Critics; Culture Working Committee; Lagos Peppersoup Elites; Coalition of Nigerian Artists, CONA etc – these are special purpose vehicles (SPV) through which it accomplishes its broader objectives. CORA is in relationship with Artists organisations/Associations and agencies within the culture bureaucracies; and periodically stages collaborative projects with these institutions.
SAMUEL OSAZE
For CORA
