Abuja Fringe Festival creates online platform for creative industries

The organisers of Abuja Fringe Festival (AFF) say they have created an online platform that would offer thespians in the creative industry, opportunity to showcase their works.
Kenneth Uphopho, the Festival Director, said this at a news briefing in Abuja to kickoff of the AFF entitled: “Redefining Opportunities”.
Uphopho said they would use the AFF to open corridors for any kind of work such as comedy, music, dance, fashion, art exhibitions and anything possible in art because it is multidisciplinary.

“It is for artistes to showcase their works using the fringe platform.
“The AFF will be an annual event which will create unique opportunities in the creative sector and bring about economic development. We have been having Fringe Festival in Lagos since 2018.
“We decided to extend the gesture to the creative sector in Abuja with the aim of uniting Nigeria as one in terms of creative performances,” he said.
Uphopho, however, said that the platform would act as a source whereby anyone, who wanted to partner with organisations either local, national or international collaboration could do so.

“This will open access for our emerging artistes, producers and others who will have an opportunity to market their works.
“The festival is a platform for the talented and creative inclined to showcase their works. That is why the fringe is here. We have opened our platform for them,” he said.
The director also said that they were inspired by the Bugs Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, which had been in operation for over 20 years and decided to adapt it to the Nigeria system.
“We want to enhance a creative economy; we have spaces for arts and creativity. People have used the spaces and will have known those spaces,” he added.

Uphopho urged young producers, professionals to use the platform to improve their lives and Nigeria in general as well as upgrade their skills in terms of education through different workshop put in place.
Eniola Shitta, the Festival Coordinator, said the platform would give beginners an opportunity to showcase their individual works as the platform was diversified in nature.
She added that fringe had programme for children, as they wrote books, some other contents and drama for children, adding that fringe would be used to disseminate arts information through social media.

A participant, Agozie Agbo, also said that the platform would offer people an avalanche of opportunities at various levels.
The festival which commenced on Dec.17 would end on Dec.21 with 60 per cent visual and 40 per cent live events.
Supreme reports that the events lined up for AFF were urban dance theatre workshop at Krump Studio, film screening , film making worship, redefining possibilities for actors, creative writing and others.