PRESS STATEMENT
What we have going is an EXHIBITION to depict his stellar life from birth to date. It is a display of visuals, memorabilia,, with sound woven in a thematic manner to tell Wole Soyinka’s rich and remarkable story.
The AIM of the exhibition is to celebrate Prof Wole Soyinka.
– to bring a fresher audience to learn about him.
– As well as an old audience to further have insight into him.
– for them to draw inspiration from his legacy of creativity, service, scholarship and achievements.
ON July 13, 2024, Professor Wole Soyinka will be 90.
He has lived a very rich and remarkable life. He is a scholar, a teacher, a thinker, a writer, an advocate of justice and fair-play, a patriot, a responsive human being, a rare conscience, a national and international figure, and, of course, to crown it all, a Nobel Laureate.
Because of his uniqueness, several activities are being held across the globe to mark his 90th birthday.
- lectures by various organizations in the UK, the US and other parts of the world.
- poetry recitations across the world including under the Eiffel Tower in Paris,
- workshops of various forms across the globe.
- performances in various cities including Abeokuta, his home town.
What we have going is an EXHIBITION to depict his stellar life from birth to date. It is a display of visuals, memorabilia,, with sound woven in a thematic manner to tell Wole Soyinka’s rich and remarkable story.
It is titled, An Exhibition. Wole Soyinka – An Impactful Life
The exhibition will open in full on Friday and run here for one month up until July 31.
To date, we have invited about 80 schools across the city to come to view the exhibition. Other schools can come and they will not be barred. They are to book an appointment to visit.
The exhibition is FREE.
We are also inviting the general public to see the exhibition, particularly in the afternoons and on Saturdays.
The AIM of the exhibition is to celebrate Prof Wole Soyinka.
– to bring a fresher audience to learn about him.
– As well as an old audience to further have insight into him.
– for them to draw inspiration from his legacy of creativity, service, scholarship and achievements.
Who knows, many more Achebes, Clarks and Soyinkas may emerge from this exercise.
THAT IS AS FAR AS THE EXHIBITION GOES.
We also have performances across the city at different times and in different locations.
A. Adekile Goodwill Grammar School, Aperin, will stage Childe Internationale written by Wole Soyinka . It will be directed by Dele Morakinyo. Adekile School is in the heart of Ibadan and they will be inviting other schools around them to see the performance.
B. Government College, Ibadan, will stage Lion and the Jewel written by Wole Soyinka. It will be directed by Olajumoyimikaakiri Sobo. This will be on July 12 and July 19. They too will be inviting other schools around to see their show.
C. Wole Soyinka Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan will host Isara: A stage adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s Isara. It will be directed by Femi Osofisan. This will be on July 26 and July 27.
So you see, we are set to celebrate Wole Soyinka in a unique way all through out the month.
I should point out that if we had a lecture or a symposium, we would be lucky if we drew an audience of 500. With what we have, we hope to draw a participation of about 10,000 by the end of the month.
If we achieve this, we would have broadened the base of literature, much to the joy of Wole Soyinka – a fitting present for 90.
Dr Kolade Mosuro
Head of the Exhibition Committee and President of IACD –
Initiative For Information, Arts, and Culture Development in Nigeria
