Festival poetry Calabar 2017 held on the 21st through the 23rd of December. The annual festival was indeed an august celebration which hosted a rain of young poetry lovers across the nation with the theme, Drums of poetry: Echoes and Prospect. The festival was housed by James Ene Henshaw Foundation, a renown theatre hub in the city of Calabar.
Poets who had arrived from all over the country were ushered into the poetry gallery by Sir Eriata Oribhabor, Chairman of the Festival Poetry Foundation and initiator, Poets in Nigeria.
To keep nimble the educative minds of participants, an entertainment package was organized as break from the lecture which saw a tour to Marina Resort's slave history museum The tour was not just a package for entertainment but education also.
Friday the 22nd of December had an affirmation to hedonism where the participant's return from the tour was welcomed with a stage play performed by James Henshaw Foundation. This performance duly titled "The Vagina Monologue" was geared towards raising the consciousness of a woman to self value and believe rather than the portrait of a drudge and sex slave.
On the spot, a seeming competition was made possible for participants at the penultimate night where Gabriel Nkanu made it as winner, earning him the sum of ten thousand naira. This was an avenue for spoken word Poets to have their lines performed.
Saturday which marked the end of the festival in the year 2017 opened with a session for teenagers tagged "Teen Poetry Reading/Performances". This session had a feel of teenagers in the state, Teens Issues Calabar led by Blessing Sam, a T.V presenter at the
Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation. There was a showcase of talents from growing literary enthusiasts and a voice too.
Following the teens performances, all participants in the festival were divided into groups where each group was made to appoint a leader as they wrote poems from available postcards in the poetry gallery. This session had Sir Oribhabor and Utibe-Eno Ekpuk as moderator and judge.
The event was wrapped up with another entertainment package, the palm wine poetry and bole fest. This was served to the satisfaction of participants while storytelling, singing and spoken word poetry by Moje Ikpeme, Chris Fridae, Makinde Damilola and some others were on the go.
To mark an end of the festival, there was a presentation of award for the winners of Ken Egba's prize for poetry by Sir Oribhabor as he rendered exciting words to spur up writer's endeavor.
Also, the winner of the literary hour at the poetry gallery was announced by the judges after an analytical read of the submitted works where Group G led by Blessing Bassey made it as winner and was accorded the sum of five thousand naira
On behalf of the local organizing committee and P.I.N Calabar Connect Centre, Veralyn Chinenye praised the efforts of all who contributed to the success of the festival and Sir Oribhabor spoke heartily in appreciation for a successful festival and made promise of a better festival in 2018.
Utibe-Eno Ekpuk is a Poet, Budding Writer, Singer and one of the Co-Representatives at the Poets In Nigeria (PIN) University of Calabar Connect Centre and also a member of the planning committee, Festival Poetry Calabar 2017.
You can follow her on Facebook for more of her creative pieces @Utibe-Eno Ekpuk
Poets who had arrived from all over the country were ushered into the poetry gallery by Sir Eriata Oribhabor, Chairman of the Festival Poetry Foundation and initiator, Poets in Nigeria.
To keep nimble the educative minds of participants, an entertainment package was organized as break from the lecture which saw a tour to Marina Resort's slave history museum The tour was not just a package for entertainment but education also.
Friday the 22nd of December had an affirmation to hedonism where the participant's return from the tour was welcomed with a stage play performed by James Henshaw Foundation. This performance duly titled "The Vagina Monologue" was geared towards raising the consciousness of a woman to self value and believe rather than the portrait of a drudge and sex slave.
On the spot, a seeming competition was made possible for participants at the penultimate night where Gabriel Nkanu made it as winner, earning him the sum of ten thousand naira. This was an avenue for spoken word Poets to have their lines performed.
Saturday which marked the end of the festival in the year 2017 opened with a session for teenagers tagged "Teen Poetry Reading/Performances". This session had a feel of teenagers in the state, Teens Issues Calabar led by Blessing Sam, a T.V presenter at the
Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation. There was a showcase of talents from growing literary enthusiasts and a voice too.
Following the teens performances, all participants in the festival were divided into groups where each group was made to appoint a leader as they wrote poems from available postcards in the poetry gallery. This session had Sir Oribhabor and Utibe-Eno Ekpuk as moderator and judge.
The event was wrapped up with another entertainment package, the palm wine poetry and bole fest. This was served to the satisfaction of participants while storytelling, singing and spoken word poetry by Moje Ikpeme, Chris Fridae, Makinde Damilola and some others were on the go.
To mark an end of the festival, there was a presentation of award for the winners of Ken Egba's prize for poetry by Sir Oribhabor as he rendered exciting words to spur up writer's endeavor.
Also, the winner of the literary hour at the poetry gallery was announced by the judges after an analytical read of the submitted works where Group G led by Blessing Bassey made it as winner and was accorded the sum of five thousand naira
On behalf of the local organizing committee and P.I.N Calabar Connect Centre, Veralyn Chinenye praised the efforts of all who contributed to the success of the festival and Sir Oribhabor spoke heartily in appreciation for a successful festival and made promise of a better festival in 2018.
Utibe-Eno Ekpuk is a Poet, Budding Writer, Singer and one of the Co-Representatives at the Poets In Nigeria (PIN) University of Calabar Connect Centre and also a member of the planning committee, Festival Poetry Calabar 2017.
You can follow her on Facebook for more of her creative pieces @Utibe-Eno Ekpuk
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