ON occasion of the 2022 World Poetry Day on March 21, the Providus Bank staged its yearly Poetry Cafe at which the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, himself a quintessential poet, mentored 40 poets drawn from four Poetry Communes around Lagos.
The event was on the theme MIGRATIONS: Of Dislocations and Displacement, was held at the bank’s yet-to-be-opened Lekki branch along Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Forty poets from age 15 to 30 were assembled and they were mentored by four mid-career poets who were the founders of the communes —
*Erita Oribhabor of Poets in Nigeria ( PIN),
*Dagga Tolar of AJ House of Poetry;
Segun Adefila of Bariga Poets Collectives, and
Chisom Ohuaka of LOUDThots.
In his opening remark to the workshop, Professor Soyinka read his poem, MIGRANT to the participants via a video recording and later joined the workshop via Zoom.
Addresing the workshop, the bank’s Communication Manager, who stands in as producer of the project, said that Providus Bank is committed to exploring relevant social and cultural issues through the medium of poetry. He stressed that the ban particularly focus on helping to groom the voices of young poets because it believes that tomorrow belongs to the young intellectuals.
He said the Providus Cafe was initiated to stamp the bank’s name as a promoter of the literary arts, and that ot is blessed to have the support of Africa’s preeminent poet, Wole Soyinka, as grand patron of the project.
He reminded that the workshop is only a prelude to the main celebration of the Poetry Day, which would happen in the course of the year.
Explaining how the 40 poets were assembled, Coordinator of the project, Jahman Anikulapo of the Culture Advocates Caucus, CAC, said they were the best 10 finalists in contests conducted by the four communes.
The poems of the 40 finalists would be workshoped and published in a volume that would be forword-ed by the laureate, Soyinka.
Each of the 40 poets mounted the centre stage to present their films, and too notes from the four mentors. The poets were then group into silos that wee then mentored by the four mentors.
It was indeed a joyous occasion befitting the Poetry Day celebration.
Participants
The four Communes brought 10 finalists, selected from their earlier competition in their individual groups.
The 40 participants had age ranges of 15-30. They were drawn as follows:
1. AJ House of Poetry — students in Senior Secondary schools from Ajegunle
2. Poets in Nigeria, PIN – undergraduates in campuses
3. LOUDThots – fresh graduates/early career from various parts of Lagos.
4. Bariga Poets Collective – Mix of undergraduates and early careers…
Event Flow
The call time was set at 3pm.By 3.30pm we had all the 40 participants in attendance, including those that came from Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Nsukka and Calabar) – mostly undergraduate members of PIN.
Registration commenced was done by 3.30pm
3.30pm: We opened with screening of the first 15 minutes of your reading of “A humanistic Ode to Leah Sharibu” (as recorded by Femi Odugbemi of Zuri24Media, for your earlier Italian engagement coordinated by Awam Amkpa).
4pm: General Briefing on the project and workshop procedures by the Coordinator, Jahman Anikulapo
4.05pm: Opening address by Providus Bank taken by Dafe Ivwurie.4.10pm: Screening of the Poem MIGRANT by WS4.15pm: Introductory remarks on each of the four Communes by the Founder/ Coordinators referredto as Mentors in the context of the workshop.
4.20PM: Workshop (1st segment)
Synopsis: The workshop idea and procedure took educational dimension.
i. Each one of the 40 participants had a chance to present his/her poem.
ii. They were later grouped into 4 silos (each comprising 10 poets), and allotted a Mentor.
iii. Each Mentor worked with alloted group of 10 participants
iv. Next Step: Each group will work under the allotTed Mentor till end of April to produce the final copies of the poems.
v. The final poems will be submitted for the proposed collection (publication).
vi. Gala EventThe best two poems from each silo will feature in the main Gala event at a date to be advised by you.
Below is the text of his poem, which was presented to show example to inspire the participants
MIGRANT
Will there be sun? Or rain? Sleet
Damp as the pasted smile of the frontier clerk?
Where will the last tunnel spew me out
Amphibian? No one knows my name.
So many hands await that first
Remittance home. Will there be one?
Tomorrows come and go, beachcomber days.
Perhaps you’ll wear me, seaweed stitched
On fake designer goods, invisibly branded:
Sweat-Shop. Or gaudy souvenirs that distance,
Yet bind us, as migrant handicraft, and crafty
Rolexes jostle for space on glazed
Side walks. The outspread rugs entice, but
No embossment reads – WELCOME.
Cowrie shells, coral reef or chalk cliffs –
All are one at the margin of elements.
Loose sands dog my steps. Loose sands
Of deserts, of chiseled seabed shrouds –
For some went that way before the answer
Could be given – will there be sun?
Or rain? We’ve come to the bay of dreams.
WS
Photos by TAIWO OLUSOLA JOHNSON
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