The Arts-Muse Fair

The general public is invited to participate in the 2018 International Arts and Calligraphy workshop in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. The event is scheduled to hold from February 23 to March 9, 2018.
Theme of the workshop: Towards Tertiary Tuition of Islamic Arts and Calligraphy: Prospects for the Nigerian Socio – Economy.
Title of Exhibition: Confluence of two Visual Arts. 
Activities: The workshop session will be handled by international renowned visual experts and it will feature the following activities: vIntensive lessons vCalligraphy and Persian Rug making by visiting world renowned experts vExhibition of works on both Islamic Arts and Calligraphy and conventional visual Arts.
Benefits of the Workshop: vThe event will give the participants unique experience in visual arts. vThey will have a rare opportunity to meet and interact with leading world calligraphers and Persian Rug makers and in the process learn the calligraphic arts and Persian rug making. vAt the end of workshop, participants…

Arts and Africa and 16 by 16 will tomorrow, 29 December 2019, present Ajinde (resurrection) event to  mark a huge milestone in Arts and Africa's journey to becoming one of the foremost publishers in Africa as it plans to reestablish Arts and Africa as a journal interested in chronicling experiences and telling stories, particularly from young people.
At the relaunch event holding at 16 by 16 between 5pm-10pm., Arts and Africa will be unveiling two books published by it: Monochrome Lagos’s Photobook Vol II and Numb Tantrums, a chapbook by Yakeeb, illustrated by Aàdesokan. Monochrome Lagos features amazing photography from Lagos alongside well-curated and edited literature from talented individuals. Numb Tantrums is a new authentic and rich experimental poetry. 

Other exciting lineups for this event include poetry by Chika Jones, music performances, spoken word and live art.

You can purchase your tickets online for NGN1,500 here. 

This event is open to people of all ages.

A 30-Man horse crew from the Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar will participate in the 2017 Calabar Festival, which begins tomorrow Tuesday, December 26, in Calabar, Cross River state.
Gabe Onah, Chairman of the Carnival Commission while announcing this said not less than 26 states will take part in the carnival reports The Nation. The carnival, touted at the biggest street carnival in Africa, will host about 2 million tourist from Nigeria and abroad. 
The chairman noted that participants from states and local governments would display their rich cultural content and other unique aspects of their states and cultures.
He observed that Cultures are dynamic, and efforts have been made over the years to develop art and craft and take them to the next level at Calabar carnivals.
The theme of this year festival is tagged `Migration’.

Juliane Okot Bitek’s poetry collection “100 Days” published by the University of Alberta Press, 2016, has been named winner of the 2017 Glenna Luschei Prize of African Poetry.
The prize, administered by the African Poetry Book Fund, annually awards $1,000 to a book of poetry by an African writer published the previous year.
Judge of the 2017 Prize, John Keene, scholar and award-wining writer  observed that, “In 100 Days, poet Juliane Okot Bitek set out to memorialize the tragedy of the Rwandan genocide, but the witnessing force of these brief, incantatory poems ripples outward to figuratively encompass multiple histories of violence and brutality, including the terror her own family and countless others faced under Idi Amin’s regime in Uganda. The lyric beauty, intertextual depth, and metonymic power of Okot Bitek’s poetry underscores the capacities of of art and language to cast light into the darkest corners of our human experience, and bridge the gulfs that lie between us.”
Juliane Ok…

Huza Press (RW) in collaboration with Kwani Trust (KE) No Bindings (UK) invites entries of short stories from Rwandans residing in or outside Rwanda for 2018 edition.
Rules and Guidelines: Word length: 1000-4000 words Open to all Rwandans residing in or outside Rwanda Written submissions should be in English, French or Kinyarwanda Each writer may submit up to a maximum of 5 pieces Entrants should include a 100 words short biographical note, together with their contact details
How to Submit: Submissions should be sent by email to radiobookrwanda@gmail.com Submission should be attached as a word doc (format 2.0 spacing & 12pt, times new roman)
Successful writers will be notified by 15 Feb 2018 and receive a fee of £500

Applications for participation in the Films by African Youth (FAY) Workshop and 7th edition of the Luxor African Film Festival have commenced.
Films by African Youth (FAY) is a 10-day hands-on film training programme, committed to enable young talented African filmmakers who have a voice, find ways to create high quality productions in low budget situations.
The programme is handled by professional filmmakers working at top levels within the African film industry. These professionals will not only teach, they will also serve as mentors and role models to the young generations who want to express issues that matter to them but might be feeling limited for lack of support, funds and mentorship.
The workshop will provide basic introductory coursework that is critical to the craft of storytelling. A great emphasis is put on the idea of developing a culture of creating innovative cinema as a counter to imitative cinema. It stresses the value of cultural identity in the future transformation …

ABUJA ON THE MOVE - A Review of the Creative Sector in Abuja.
By  Dike Chukwumerije and Promise Ebichi 

From its days of cultural soullessness – caricatured as the stereotypical artificial city, made only of glass, concrete and migrant workers – Abuja has come a long way. For proof of this, look to the increasingly choked calendar of its cultural enthusiast. In recent months, this calendar has been crammed with poetry shows, musicals, theatre productions and cultural festivals, all healthy signs of a creative sector experiencing a boom. 

Perhaps it is the city’s increasing population of the aspirational. Or the coming of age of a generation of Abuja born and bred, more inclined to see the city as home. Perhaps it is the re-location of artistes from more culturally vibrant cities, and the resultant pressure on local artistes to do more. Who knows? But the resultant boom has been loud, louder and more broad based than anything before, involving more diverse art forms, more efficient use of …

·Nigeria and Egypt top entries from Africa. ·Rising number of entries demonstrates increasing global acceptance of the Prize.
The César Egido Serrano Foundation, Spain, organizers of the International Micro-Story Competition, this year received record high entries from 172 countries of the world.
The contest, which is in its fifth edition, accepts micro-fictions of not more than 100 words on any theme that promotes understanding between different cultures and religion written in any of the languages of Spanish, English, Arabic or Hebrew.
In the previous edition, over thirty five thousand works by writers from 149 countries were entered for the competition. The number of entries has spiked this year by almost 18%, recording 43.185 submissions from 172 countries. This edition also witnessed more participation from countries in all continents of the world. Spain, the United States and Argentina are among the countries with the highest participation. Nigeria and Egypt, two nations battling vi…

The Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter calls for submission of short films from individuals and companies to mark the 2018 Minna Indigenous Film Festival.
The Minna Indigenous Film Festival is organised by the Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria as a platform to exhibit short films on the rich cultural heritage of Niger State.
Interested companies and filmmakers should pick registration forms at the Niger State Book and Other Intellectual Resource Development Agency, Abattoir Junction, Minna – Niger State.
Required duration of the films to be submitted and other requirements are contained in the registration form.
Closing Date: January 30, 2018.

For inquiry call: 07039559190, 08078145454, 08032888155, 08032856739.

Applications for the 2018 New International Voices residency programme have commenced The British Council, LIFT and Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) has spaces for two West African artists to participate in the 2018 British Council New International Voices Residency, London. Applicants must be currently living and working in either Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal or Sierra Leone.
The programme which is fully funded will support a new generation of international artists who are in the early stages of their professional career.
About the Programme: Based at Battersea Arts Centre, the residency is a chance for individual West African artists to test out new ideas, to challenge the way they work, and create new international networks. Through a communal living environment, artists will have opportunities to share, reflect and develop practice with peers. They will also be part of an exciting LIFT festival programme and can attend a number of the performances.
Rules and Evaluation: Applications will be evalu…

The Arts-Muse Fair Blog in collaboration with AMAB Books last weekend in Minna, Niger state hosted a book reading and signing of Dr. Ibraheem Dooba’s new book, Rhymes From Africa. Paul Liam, Poet, Essayist, Literary Columnist and Critic who attended the book chat writes about his impression of the event.
By Paul Liam
Minna is gradually reclaiming its former glory as the "Literary capital of Northern Nigeria”, all thanks to the innovative interventions of quality minds like Aminu S. Muhammad, who, with his Art-Muse-Fair News Blog, is bringing a new dynamism to the promotion of creative expressions and Nurdin Busari, whose publishing house and functional bookshop, AMAB Books Ltd, are taking the business of literary propagation to a new dimension in Minna and across the country. Working together, the duo is actively creating a vibrant corporate image for the enterprise of literature and arts administration in Niger state by re-invigorating the literary culture amongst the people. At …

Yesterday evening, writers and lovers of book gathered at AMAB Bookshop, Minna to listen to Dr Ibraheem Dooba read from his new collection of Children poetry book, “Rhymes From Africa” published by AMAB Books.
The Book chat and signing was organised by AMAB Books and the Arts-Muse Fair News Blog where eminent Nigerian writers in Minna joined the author to discuss the 39- page book which presents the lustrous beauty of Africa’s flora and fauna in rhythmic verses.
The Curator of the Arts-Muse News Blog, Aminu S Muhammad, who opened the book discussion with a welcome address explained that the aim of the reading session was to celebrate the arrival of the new book and to acquaint readers with the author.
Moderating the session, Mallam Abdullahi Ismaila of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said the book chat was apt because it availed lovers of children literature another opportunity to listen to an author of children literature share his experiences in that area of literature. He noted that …

Monday this week, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that it has lifted the ban on the operations of Cinemas in the Arab Monarchy.  This comes amidst widespread speculations that the buyer of the record-breaking $450million, 500-year-old Leonardo da Vinci painting sold at an auction by Christie last month in New York is no other than Muhammmad Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
By this, the Kingdom is set to lift an over 35 years ban on cinema operation and allow commercial cinema commence operation early 2018. The Ministry of Culture and Information will begin licensing cinemas immediately. This is the first time that cinemas will be licensed since their ban in the early 1980s.
The Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) official declaration on Monday, December 11, 2017 says the first set of Movie Theater complexes are expected to open in March 2018, and by 2030, the expectation is to have over 300 cinemas with 2,000 screens across the Kingdom. This, the Minister…

Last week in Amsterdam, six individuals and an organization, including Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré of Burkina Faso and L’Art Rue art organization of Tunisia were presented with the 2017 Prince Claus Awards for their various outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development by His Royal Highness, Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands.

While the Principal Prince Claus Awards jointly went to filmmaker and indigenous activist, Vince Carelli of Brazil and new media designer and environmentalist, Ma Jun of China, Prince Claus Awards were received by a documentary filmmaker, Khadija Al-Salami of Yemen, L’Art Rue of Public art association (Tunisia), Scientist and environmentalist, Brigitte Baptiste of Colombia, Visual artist, Amar Kanwar of India and Diebedo Francis Kere of Burkina Faso. Presenting the award on December 6, 2017, at the Royal Palace Amsterdam, His Royal Highness, Prince Constantijn who is also the Honorary Chairman of the Prince Claus Fund observed that “the P…