On the 5th of June, 2021, 6 performing artists will embark on an audacious journey to change the wrong notion that poetry is a one-way street. They will take you on a wild emotional rollercoaster with performance poetry, music, and collaboration with an art gallery dedicated to showcasing and empowering artistic expressions. Learn more about this experience and why you don’t want to miss it.
If you’re a fan of artistic adventures that connect you with others, you don’t want to miss this upcoming event. Ore Macaulay, a performing poet, and five other creatives will be performing live at one of Lagos’ exquisite art galleries, Artpedia, on the 5th of June 2021, at an event tagged Unfolded.
Unfolded brings to mind an image of something spreading out from a folded position. In this case, the event’s goal is to nudge people to step into the freedom art offers. Organisers also hope the event will help people see performance poetry as an accessible art form. To create a fully liberating experience, the organisers have carefully curated artistic engagements focusing on performance poetry.
Activities
At the second edition of Unfolded, you’ll find activities that will thrill you. You’ll get to:
- Listen to live poetry
- Enjoy live music
- Create your own painting in a sip and paint session
- Play fun games
- Network with amazing creatives
- Listen to a panel session on creativity
With these activities setting the stage for introspection, stimulating conversations and the chance for attendees to connect with one another, there is something for everyone at Unfolded.
But here’s an interesting twist, to create a genuinely unique experience, the organisers have lined up creative segments such as:
1. A Poem Mastered: This segment allows you to vote on whether an artiste’s performance showcased a poem mastered or a mastered poet. While some may argue that one exists because of the other, this session will offer insights into how you and others perceive poetry and poets.
2. Blindfolded Unfolding: What happens when you listen to vivid poetry blindfolded? This session will draw on your auditory sense and focus your experience solely on what you hear. The goal is to help you recognise the freedom and power of what you hear above what you can or cannot see.
. Painted Poetry: While some of the activities will have you blindfolded, this segment will have you paint your reactions and emotions to an artiste’s performance. You can also draw inspiration from the canvases on display in the gallery as you create art you can take home.
4. Make It Yours (Self Expression): This segment encourages self-expression and peculiar storytelling. You will be given a printed copy of an artiste’s poem to remodel to reflect your own stories, challenges and perspectives.
5. Read My Poem: Here, you will read and perform an artiste’s poem alongside the artiste. The aim is to help demystify performance poetry and make it more accessible to you.
Clearly, the organisers aren’t looking to merely entertain you. They want to fully engage you and ensure you leave Unfolded with memorable experiences and a deeper appreciation for poetry and art in general.
Artistes
The array of talent set to feature at Unfolded is impressive. The following artistes will treat you to memorable performances at the event:
Ore Macaulay (Performance Poet)
Are you tired? Is Lagos getting to you, and you need the calming effect poetry can induce? Then Ore Macaulay is your go-to poet. Ore Macaulay is a Writer, Performance Poet and Artist whose work examines self, humanity, diversity, creativity, God, love, healing, freedom, and emotion. She creates to redefine boxes and capture attention through insightful, provocative, charming and a resplendent mélange of creative direction. She’s a wordsmith with a voice that soothes like a warm caress of an attentive lover.
Dwin The Stoic (Artiste)
Skilled in poetry and music, Dwin knows more than one way to delight an audience. His prose and poetry have been published in several literary journals. The artiste, nicknamed the Master of Ballads, has also produced musical pieces in various genres, including RnB, Hip-Hop, Folk, World, Afropop and Soft Rock. He’s set to treat attendees at Unfolded to an evening of soulful tunes.
Muyiwa Akhigbe (Music Artiste)
Muyiwa Akhigbe is a singer, songwriter and composer who offers a unique blend of Afro-futurist sound and shades of other genres like funk, afro-jazz and EDM. Muyiwa draws inspiration primarily from everyday experiences and also from abstract concepts. Having worked successfully with other creative minds like Bankyondbeatz, Odunsi The Engine, and Chris Rio, he’s one to watch out for at Unfolded.
Bunmi Africa (Performance Poet)
Fierce is what comes to mind when listening to Bunmi Africa weave words that captivate her listeners and leave them wanting more. She’s an Educational Psychologist, Writer, and Spoken Word Artist who believes in freedom, hence her drive to share strong socio-political opinions and experiences through performance poetry. She’s not one to shy away from talking about the elephant in the room and sees writing and performance poetry as means to break out of conformity and challenge norms.
Chukwudi Ukonne (Performance Poet)
Chukwudi is a creative divergent who believes art should ‘disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.’ Will he be a balm or a sword at Unfolded? Will he be the calm voice encouraging us to unfold, or will he cause us to unfurl by tugging on heartstrings with his words? Come find out yourself.
Ifeoluwa Olutimehin (Accompanying Guitarist)
I-solo, as she’s fondly called, is a gifted singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She wields a penetrating voice that reverberates in her listeners’ minds, transporting them into a realm shaped by her soothing tunes.
Here’s the icing on the cake: Unfolded will take place at Artpedia Gallery, Lagos. Artpedia is one of the foremost contemporary art and culture curators empowering artistic expressions and modern experiences. Their aesthetic space is just perfect for Unfolded. Together, the event organisers and Artpedia will create the right ambience for your interaction with poetry and other art forms.
With music, painting, and spoken word, Unfolded offers the perfect setting for expression, connection, and introspection. People who have curled into a ball due to life’s challenges will learn to unfurl, extend and discover new parts of themselves. And those who have held their breath for so long will feel safe enough to unclench their jaws and breathe freely. If these sound like experiences you crave, tickets go for 15,000 Naira only, and you can get them here.
Event: Unfolded (Poetry, Music, Visual Art and Wine).
Date: Saturday, June 5, 2021.
Time: 4 PM.
Venue: Artpedia Gallery. Located at 1, Oluwakayode Jacobs Crescent, Off Adedeji Okunnubi Oladimeji Alo, Freedom Way, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.
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