Udoka elected VP of International Association of Theatre for Children and Young Audiences

By Jerry Adeshewo

NIGERIAN dance artiste, and culture administrator, Pamela Udoka has been elected as one of three vice presidents of the International Association of Theatre for Young Audience (ASSITEJ) at the ongoing 20^th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival in Tokyo, Japan. 

ASSITEJ is an international body dedicated to the artistic, cultural, and educational rights of children and young people across the globe and advocates on behalf of all children regardless of nationality, cultural identity, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion; to which Nigeria has been a frontline player for over a decade now. 

Pamela, who is president of the Nigeria chapter of the global body, was first elected into the Executive Committee (EC), during the 19th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival in Cape Town, South Africa in May 2017 and served in the Projects Working Group, the group saddled with the responsibilities of planning and executing the Artistic Encounters, the contents of which shape the direction of the ASSITEJ International. She was then re-elected for a second term yesterday, March 30; and this time to the exalted position of Vice President.

With the other two vice presidents — South Korea’s Seok-hong Kim and Chile’s Bebe De Soares, Mrs Udoka will now work with Australia’s Sue Giles who was unanimously elected President, to take over from South Africa’s Yvette Hardie, with whom she had served as vice president herself.

It was indeed a moment of glory for Africa as it won more positions and accolades at the ongoing World Congress. South African playwright, theatre director and Chairperson of ASSITEJ South Africa, Ms. Lalu Mokuku was also elected into the 15- member Executive Council of ASSITEJ to ensure proper representation of Africa. Lalu’s play, ‘Dipalo’ won the ASSITEJ African Playwriting for Young Audiences competition in 2019 

In another development, Cameroun’s Etundi Zeyang, a passionate and dedicated Theatre for Young Audiences practitioner, a playwright, director and producer, was inducted as an Honorary Member of ASSITEJ International, where he would, along with a handful of others function in an advisory capacity. He is the Founder and Producer of FATEJ Festival and Director, Theatre du Chocolat, Yaounde

Africa’s exploit at the 20^th ASSITEJ World Congress was capped with the announcement of South Africa’s Omphile Molusi as one of the three finalists of this year’s Inspirational Playwrights Awards. He is an acclaimed actor, director, and playwright. He is the Artistic Director of the TsaMmu Theatre, a platform which provides opportunities for a new generation of writers. His play, Balalatladi is part of the ground-breaking anthology: New Visions/New Voices: 25 Years/25 Plays. He also sits on the board of ASSITEJ South Africa. 

It is expected that, Pamela and Lalu on the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ International, Etundi as a Honourary and member and the well-deserved recognition received by Omphile, interest and active participation in Theatre for Young Audiences practice would be on the increase on the African continent, in the next two years. 

 PAMELA Udoka is the President/Artistic Director of Children’s Arts Development Initiative (CHAIN). The pioneer coordinator of the National Troupe of Nigeria Children’s Theatre Workshop from 1992 – 1997, she rose through the ranks, and is presently Director, Technical & Production Services of the apex performing troupe in Nigeria.  She has been in the forefront of children’s theatre practice in Nigeria since 1991. She received the African Woman International Merit Award in 1994 for her pioneering work with children. 

She has written and directed to critical acclaim for the stage, “The Rejected Blessing”, which was in the long-list of 10 for the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) prize for Children’s Literature in 2007. Also, amongst her drama scripts are, “Clash of the Ants”, “I Dream a Christmas” and “Transition.”. She directed the epic drama “The Last Safari” produced by the late art afficionado, Steve Rhodes to celebrate 50 years of Corona Schools in Nigeria in 2005. Pamela underwent entrepreneurship studies at FATE Foundation in 2005-2006, where she won the Aspiring Entrepreneur Award for her business plan on the running of a CHAIN Arts Center. She also won the Chair Center Best Aspiring Female Entrepreneur award, same year in same institution. She coordinated the Children’s carnival event in Abuja to mark 50years of Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, and was Artistic Director, 2008 Lagos Children’s Carnival.

She was invited by ITYARN the research arm of ASSITEJ to deliver a plenary paper in May 2011 in Sweden during the organisation’s World Congress. She co-led one of the roundtable discussions at the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture that was held in Melbourne, Australia in October 2011 under the auspices of International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA). She was in Warsaw, Poland in May 2014 to attend the World Congress of ASSITEJ, where she was appointed an African ASSITEJ Counsellor. She was invited to Subotica, Serbia in September 2014 to present a paper at the 21st Festival of Children’s Theatres.