For ten years, one of the clearest things we have seen at the Lagos International Poetry Festival is the enormous pool of talented poets producing urgent, inventive, and formally ambitious work. Our obsession has been with presenting that work on stage, and with helping build the conditions that allow it to deepen, evolve, and endure. The LIPFest Craft and Development Lab, growing out of our annual workshop series, is the product of this.
Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort of the Lab: a four-month virtual program of craft and professional development for ten poets, spoken word artists, and writers from Nigeria, across Africa, and the diaspora.
The Lab is designed for writers with active projects already in development: manuscripts, spoken word albums, poetry films, stage works, and other long-form creative projects that need time, structure, critique, and sustained engagement.
Over four months, participants will take part in craft sessions, one-on-one mentorship, professional development conversations, and peer critique with a cohort of fellow writers working across poetry, performance, and literary forms. The program is free to apply to and free to participate in.
The inaugural faculty includes Romeo Oriogun, Nick Makoha, and Titilope Sonuga, three writers whose work has shaped contemporary conversations around poetry, performance, and the possibilities of literary form.
Participants will also receive access to:
- Career and portfolio development support
- A rigorous peer community
- Showcase opportunities connected to LIPFest and regional festivals
- Portfolio Development Grants for selected projects
Who Can Apply
The Lab is open to:
- Early- to mid-career poets, spoken word artists, and writers
- Applicants based in Nigeria, elsewhere in Africa, or the diaspora
- Writers with active creative projects in development
- Applicants comfortable working and receiving feedback in English
Important Details
- All sessions are virtual
- Free to apply
- Free to participate
- Application deadline: Friday, 3 July 2026
Applications are now open.
Apply here: lagospoetryfestival.com/lab
The LIPFest Craft and Development Lab is supported by Africa No Filter.