‘…we will continue with our Support and Connect grant project that supports the local art scene not only in Lagos but also in the whole country… we will also focus more on younger people – be it with the children’s programme that is currently rolled out by the library department or with the German classes for children that we plan to start next year’
THE Goethe Institut Nigeria, otherwise known as the German Cultural Centre, is 60 years old this month, having formally opened on Broad Street, Lagos in 1962.
On Saturday, October 29, the current managers of the Institut, staged a culture party to mark the anniversary of the culture diplomatic centre, which, over the decades of consistency and lavish material investment, has, through deliberate programming concepts and executions, helped to discover talents, hone skills, nurture and advance the careers of hundreds of artists, many of whom have been, and are leaders and masters in their divergent disciplines.
One of the inspiring presences at the event staged at the Institut’s current all-green flavour office complex on Anifowose Street, Victoria Island, was Chief Muraina Oyelami, multi-talented, multi-disciplinary culture practitioner — painter, actor, musician, poet, art teacher, culture entrepreneur — who came all the way from Iragbiji in Osogbo, where he holds the traditional title of Eesa (Prime Minister).
The Octogenarian culture aficionado recalled how Goethe Institut way back 1964 facilitated the first tour of Germany by the famous performing troupe, Duro Ladipo Company, in which he was then a young actor and drummer.
Electing to speak in his mother tongue Yoruba, but enlisting the service of the culture journalist, writer, Molara Wood to interpret, Chief Oyelami, founder of the Obatala Art Centre in Iragbiji, appreciated the significance of the Institut’s (and by extension the German government’s) contribution to deepening inter-racial understanding through the burnishing of the relationship between Europe and Africa through the instrumentality of the Arts and Culture. While praising the commitment and support of management, and the old and current staff of the Institut, Chief Oyelami prayed for continuous service, growth, and relevance of the Institut, wishing it “another 60 years and beyond” of impactful existence.
The event began at noon with an exchange forum that featured a group of visiting students from the University of Fine Arts Hamburg and their Nigerian counterparts from the University of Lagos; children reading workshop with known children’s literature exponents and activists, including Funmi Ilori of IRead and the poet-lawyer, Aduke Gomez, and the opening of an experimental exhibition by ex-staff of the Institut, the experimental artist-documentarist, Jerry Ikongo, among others.
The evening hours were, of course, more interesting featuring performances by Spoken word poets — Aremo Gemini, Juliet Nnnaji, and a visiting South African story-teller, Vikapuzo; a politically conscious-themed Performance art, Dialogue, by sultry Taiwo Aiyedogbon. Most fascinating, however for most guests, was the intensely-charged social commentary total theatre — drama, dance, music, poetry, pantomimic quips by the cast of Crown Troupe of Africa, the 26-year-old band of dancers, musicians, actors, and poets headed by Segun Adefila.
The performances wrapped up with the impressive putting by Maka and her band, funnily named ‘One Band Like That’, which took the partying guests through a range of musical emotions across time and age.
The meat of the celebration was, however, in the more formal segment of the event, which opened with a speech by the Director of the Institut, Dr Nadine Siegert, in which she traced the journey of the Institut, and pointed to the robustly-engaging future that the Institut envisages.
“We are also committed to creating cultural and educational programs for you and with you. For example, we will continue with our Support and Connect grant project that supports the local art scene not only in Lagos, but also in the whole country. Let me stress that this is very important for us – we are the Goethe-Institut Nigeria, not only the Goethe-Institut Lagos. We will also focus more on younger people – be it with the children’s programme that is currently rolled out by the library department or with the German classes for children that we plan to start next year.” (See full speech below).
Siegert soon invited the Consul General of Germany, Weert Börner, “who has just arrived in Nigeria some few weeks ago.”
The Consul-General who said he just arrived at his post, has seen so much in the local culture space to give him confidence that he would enjoy his tour of duty here. He assured of the German government’s continuous support for the Institut, in spite of the fact that cultural budgets have suffered significant cuts in Europe in recent years, due to various reasons, including the ongoing Russia-Ukrainian war. He said the German government, through the Embassy in Nigeria, appreciates the role being played by Goethe in deepening the relationship between Germany and Nigeria.
Other notable guests included Chief Kayode Aderinokun, the Banker-poet and chairman of the committee for Relevant, Art,m COR, one of the long-standing partners of the Institut, Rufai Oseni (aruffyfire), the writer, journalist, and co-Anchor of the popular The Morning Show, who read a poem about the importance of being human and progressive in thoughts and deeds above everything else in life. He drew loud applause for his act. Other poets also featured their act in the impromptu open-mic session, including former child poetry prodigy, Oyinkansola Adesewa, now 20 years old and a first-class graduate of Mass Communication.
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’60 Years of Goethe-Institut Nigeria… what a journey!’
(Being text of Dr. Nadine Siegert’s speech at the ’60th years of Goethe Institut Nigeria’ celebrations on October 29 in Lagos)
“THIS is an institute with a history of 60 years. Only ten years after the Goethe-Institut as a global institution was founded in 1951, there were a number of institutes founded on the African continent. Goethe-Institut Nigeria is nearly as old as the Nigerian independent state. So we share most of its history together.
“I am very happy that today, guests and partners from all these different moments in time are with us. From Chief Muraina Oyelami, who already worked with the Goethe-Institut in the 1960s to our most recent partners of the young Nigerian art scene.
“In its 60 years, the Goethe-Institut has been hosted in a lot of different premises, from its early years in Broad Street, for a short moment on Mainland, and later for some years in Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue. Moving house seems to be a constant for the institute and we are very flexible and resilient to adapt to new places and surroundings. One moment of recent history definitely stands out.
“As you all might now, end of 2020 was a difficult moment for us. When the world was in the middle of a global pandemic, the Nigerian youth went to the streets to demonstrate against police violence in the EndSARS protests. In that context, a few of the protests went violent and state buildings were attacked. The Goethe-Institut was hosted by the City Hall, where it was known for its famous rooftop parties. One day, it was looted and burned down, and about 90% of our books, technical equipment, and documents were gone. We found refuge at Alliance Francaise and British Council and have now found a place here at Anifowoshe Street – for a moment or the next years, we are still in the process to make this decision.
“Unfortunately, also our archive was gone – folders on paper that speak about the institute’s history of the last 60 years. But that doesn’t mean that memory was gone – because we can rely on the richness of Nigerian oral history! We talked to many people over the last couple of months who told us their story of the Goethe-Institut. And we made a podcast series and recorded some of these stories. So every month you can listen to a new episode of Goethe-Institut @60 podcast. Two have already been published, in one of them you can listen to four longest staff members and their history with the Goethe-Institut Nigeria.
“When I arrived here a bit more than a year ago, I found a highly motivated team that despite the recent crisis shows an amazing resilience and joy to work as a team and to create and imagine the Goethe-Institut into being each and every day – be it with its administrative and maintenance processes, be it in our language department, be it with the library and information work, be it with our cultural programmes. And to make sure that you will remember their beautiful faces, I would like to ask my whole team, also teachers and assistants, to join me here in front. Please come forward. Well done plenty!!
“In our anniversary year, we have already done quite a lot. We have produced the already mentioned podcast series, we had a major exhibition with the world-famous German artist Wolfgang Tilmanns, we celebrated 60 years together with the Institut of African Studies in Ibadan who are of the same age. We collaborate in cooperation projects with German and Nigerian universities such as the exchange project between University of Lagos and the University of Fine Arts Hamburg that we have celebrated with an exhibition yesterday. We have initiated a new film project and a project on art spaces that we will continue next year. All of this and much more…
“I want to express my gratefulness to all our dear friends and partners, who are here today to celebrate our anniversary with us. We will give our best to provide you with excellent language training and regularly exams. We will expand our language and exam profile and next year offer classes in Yaba on the mainland and we will have exams in Enugu and in Abuja – coming closer to our clients!
“We are also committed to creating cultural and educational programs for you and with you. For example, we will continue with our Support and Connect grant project that supports the local art scene not only in Lagos but also in the whole country. Let me stress that this is very important for us – we are the Goethe-Institut Nigeria, not only the Goethe-Institut Lagos. We will also focus more on younger people – be it with the children’s programme that is currently rolled out by the library department or with the German classes for children that we plan to start next year.”
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