The European Union (EU) is developing new projects and funding opportunities to support cultural events and artists across Nigeria and Africa, its Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, has said.
Mignot disclosed this, on Saturday, October 3, at the maiden Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival, organised by the National Theatre with EU sponsorship. He said the EU was committed to increasing support for culture and the creative economy, particularly through co-creations, training, workshops and artistic exchanges between African and European creatives.
The envoy said the EU had supported the Kano Creative Summit and was partnering with film festivals across Nigeria, while also planning to support the Lagos Biennial of Contemporary Art in November. He expressed hope that the circus festival would continue annually, attract more sponsors and become a platform for international artistic collaboration.
National Theatre General Manager and CEO, Tola Akerele, said contemporary circus, which combines dance, movement, acrobatics and physical performance, could provide Nigerian artists with new opportunities to develop their skills and tell indigenous stories. The festival featured performers from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Switzerland, attracting families, young people and other spectators to the National Theatre.
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