The Arts-Muse Fair

By Marjaan sadiq    My hands were trembling as I knocked at his door. Music blared from inside the apartment. I recognised the song immediately; Unleash the Dragon by Sisqo. I smiled, the man is some old school. He opened in less than a second, almost like he had been by the door, awaiting my arrival. His appearance didn't help, it made me flustered. He was wearing a multi-coloured button-down shirt. The only problem was that the shirt was not buttoned-down, all the buttons were undone and he was not wearing anything inside it. I halted. That was definitely unprofessional. Then it hit me, coming to his house was also unprofessional. I shifted my eyes from his torso to his face, willing them not to wander further. He was young, younger than I expected a bank manager to be. He was probably in his mid-thirties. "Nina right?" He asked, smirking. My eyes widened: did he just lick his lips? Hmm, I was probably imagining it. I toyed with the idea of lying that

So a friend of mine linked me up with a friend of his in Nassarawa state, who himself wanted someone who is into cultural things and entertainment in Niger state. So, we got talking with Yahaya, a Lafia resident in Nassarawa state. He (Yahaya) is a regular participant of Calabar carnival. Because of his years of experience and participation, the Cross Rivers State Carnival Commission got him acting as a kind of ambassador and go-between with cultural groups and troupes in the northern axis. The Cross River state Carnival Commission through Yahaya got my group invited to the 2017 cultural parade billed to take place on the 26th of December 2017, a day after Christmas.  I got talking yet again with the officials of the carnival commission and they asked me to liaise with my state's ministry for culture and tourism of course as a private participant. On my inquiry with the Niger state Ministry for Culture and Tourism I was able to deduce that their invitation came late and

OneBeat is a music exchange and incubator for music-based social entrepreneurship, where innovative musicians from around the world launch collaborative projects designed to make a positive impact on local and global communities. An initiative of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in collaboration with the groundbreaking New York-based music organization Bang on a Can's Found Sound Nation, OneBeat employs collaborative original music as a potent new form of cultural diplomacy. African countries eligible for the 2018 OneBeat program are: Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe. DEADLINE  Applications are due by 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time, USA) Feb 9, 2018. NOTIFICATION  Applicants will be notified of the review panel decision by the end of May, 2018. PROGRAM  OneBeat 2018 will take place from September 12 – October 14, 2018. CONTACT  If you have questions pl

Writivism has released names of six judges, in two panels, for the 2018 short story and creative non-fiction Writivism prizes. The judging panels are made up of award winning writers. The short story prize panel has Shadreck Chikoti, a representative of the Story Club of Malawi and sponsors of the prize as the head. Chikoti will work alongside Ugandan short story writer, Beatrice Lamwaka and Emmanuel Sigauke, who has been a longstanding member of the Writivism Council of advisors. The Koffi Addo prize for creative non-fiction panel will be chaired by novelist and memoirist, Akwaeke Emezi. In her panel are Daniel Kalinaki, Ugandan journalist, and Sumayya Lee, the editor and longstanding member of the Writivism Council of advisors. The Koffi Addo prize is sponsored by the Koffi Addo family. Organizers observed that the six judges represent a diversity of backgrounds and the high standards that the two prizes aspire to. Organisers urged unpublished emerging writer

·           Alternative Publishing and Financing Workshop: 16th – 17th February, 2018, Kampala. African Writers Trust (AWT) in collaboration with Word –o– Mat, will hold a 2-day Skills Development workshop for emerging publishing professionals and self-published authors from  16 th   – 17 th  February, 2018, in Kampala, Uganda. Supported by the British Council in partnership with Writers’ Centre Norwich, UK as part of the International Literature Showcase, the workshop will target 10 self-published authors and emerging publishing professionals from Uganda, selected from those looking to expand their work to a wider audience, but are limited by funds. Follow link below for additional details on the workshop Alternative Publishing and Financing Workshop 16th – 17th February 2018 Kampala, Uganda. Contact AWT at info@africanwriterstrust.org for more information on how to participate.

BOOK: Easy Motion Tourist. AUTHOR: Leye Adenle PUBLISHER: Cassava Republic REVIEWER : Nana Sule “ In the open gutter by the road, flourishing with wild vegetation and an assortment of discarded plastic bags, lay the body of a girl ” What Guy Collins, a British journalist would find on his second night in Lagos, Nigeria, would be the body of a young girl, devoid of its breasts. He would have originally come to cover the presidential elections for his news line. He would have fought amongst his colleagues to be in Nigeria, only so he could return to Mel - his ex . To tell her how Nigerian he could be, and how she needed to take him back for he understood her people. But he would get arrested by the Nigerian Police, he would almost sleep in a Nigerian cell, and he would meet the beautiful Amaka. And Amaka would steer him in another direction. “I work for a charity. We work with prostitutes. We give them counselling, financial support, shelter if they nee

Application deadline: 20 th  January, 2018 Are you a young African filmmaker looking for an international training platform to develop your new documentary film project? DOK.fest München together with the Cultural Department of the City of Munich and in cooperation with the University for Television and Film Munich (HFF) offers a Residency Programme accompanied by training in scriptwriting, financing and pitching.  The Residency at Ebenböckhaus (2 nd  March – 14 th  May, 2018) The DOK.network Africa residency is aimed at supporting filmmakers from African countries to develop their feature-length narrative documentary film projects at the international level. Thanks to our funding partners we can offer two scholarships including travel costs to and from Munich, a mentoring and training programme, monthly allowance of 1,200 Euros and accommodation in the artist-in-residence premises at the Ebenböckhaus of the City of Munich. The residency programme will last from 2 nd  M

Acceptance of entries for 2018 Olympus Global Open Photo Contest has commenced. The competition is open to every amateur and professional photographer from any country or region around the world. For the past 100 years of existence, Olympus has been recognized as a pioneer and innovator that has focused on contributing to society by making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. Rules of Registration: Anyone who registers to enter can participate. Interested entrants should go to Enter or My Page to register. Those who entered past Olympus Global Open Photo Contests must register again. Categories: Olympus Global Open Photo Contest 2018 will feature the following six categories: Getting Outside Here an entrant can enter a photo that conveys the joy, freedom, or excitement of discovery he or she  feels when he or she is outside. Art An entrant can enter a creative photo that showcases his or her unique artistic visions. Power

Night of the Spoken Word (NSW),  the flagship poetry event of Simply Poetry Ltd, Nigeria’s foremost Performance Poetry Production company, returns to the stage in Abuja next month February after a hiatus in 2017. The show will hold on Friday, February 9, 2018 at Merit House, Maitama, beginning from 7pm. Tickets for N5000 are available for purchase at Simply Poetry Ltd’s website . Early buyers could enjoy a discount of up to 50% of ticket price. Hosted twice in a year since its debut in October 2013, the event, organised by Dike Chukwumerije’s Simply Poetry Ltd, took a break last year to allow Chukwumerije and his crew time to take a new spoken word theatre production – Made In Nigeria (MIN) – on a tour of cities around Nigeria. Since its inception five years ago the NSW has grown over the years in scope and production, featuring over 70 artistes on its stage to date.

AMAA 2018: The Africa Film Academy cordially invites filmmakers to submit their feature, short, animation and documentary works for consideration in nearly 30 categories of the awards. The deadline for all submissions is 30th January 2018; a late entry deadline is 14/2/2018. Submission is on Film Freeway and in any of the AMAA offices across the continent. Nominations will be announced on April 2018 while the 14th Edition of the AMMA Awards will be held on June 2, 2018 and televised globally. About AMAA: AMAA which is an African Celebration of film and African Filmmakers was founded in 2005. Mostly held in Nigeria, it evolved from a one day event, televised live, to an annually chronicled African event. The award aims to facilitate the development and the showcasing of the social relevance of African film and cinema. The awards are presented to recognize and honour excellence in professional filmmaking in the African film industry and the African Diaspora. Categories of Aw

Invisible Borders Trans-African project will this year embark on the 8th edition of its artistic Road Trip Project.  The Road Trip this time, will be a Trans-African one encompassing countries, towns, villages, and Trans-African highways between Lagos (Nigeria) and Maputo (Mozambique) within a period of 95 days, from August 20 to November 23, 2018. We are seeking passionate African artists (photographers, writers, filmmakers, historians, architects, dancers, performance artists, and graffiti artists) who are interested in participating in this road trip. For details of the trip and application for participation click  here

Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy and photography. The video competition, entitled Small World in Motion encompasses any movie or digital time-lapse photography taken through the microscope. Nikon’s Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. Eligibility and Rules: The Nikon Small World Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography through the microscope. Truly international in scope, entries have been received from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Winners have included both professionals and hobbyists. Anyone above the age of 18 years is eligible, with the exception of employees of Nikon, their families, the contest judges, and individuals engaged in the manufacture or sale of microscopes, related accessories or photographic equipment. F

By Marjaan Sadiq. Marjaan Sadiq was at Nigeria’s foremost writers’ residency, the Ebedi, Iseyin, Oyo state between November and December last year. Here, she writes of her experiences at Ebedi, of the things in her head and the memories in her heart. On the road to Ibadan, I wonder what Iseyin will look like. I let my mind travel ahead of my body. I have always done that; let my imagination traverse the earth, go to places in my head, see things. Sometimes these images that are a part of my mental creation overwhelm me. Sometimes the greenery of acres of unused lands in my head make me crave to be on the road, the antiquated beauty of historical attractions make me hunger to be somewhere new, yet ancient, somewhere I can connect with the people of old. Alas, the lands are not so green, and historical places have been soiled with bits of technological advancements such that you are reminded that you're of the present, not the past. I have learned to understand that things