FESTIVAL EVENTS

#LIPFest2020 brings you an exciting array of FREE events. Plug in from anywhere and join the conversation.

Poetics and Pillow Talk: Sex, Sexuality, and Criminalization in Africa

In this uniquely intimate session, we join writer and journalist Edwin Okolo, architect and trans activist Liber, and award-winning author Ani Kayode Somtochukwu for a candid conversation about sex, sexuality, and freedom in contemporary Africa. Set in a cozy, bedroom-inspired space, this discussion explores how colonial legacies continue to shape attitudes toward sexuality and gender identity, while examining poetry’s role in reclaiming narratives of intimacy and autonomy.

 

Through poetry and dialogue, Edwin, Liber, and Ani Kayode confront criminalization, identity, and queer expression in African societies, while celebrating the movements working to create more inclusive spaces for diverse voices and experiences.

Presented by Obodo.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 3:00 pm
📍 Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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The Science of the Mind: Poetry, Art, and Mental Wellness

Join psychiatrist and poet Dr. Dami Ajayi, New Jersey-based poet Dr. Helena D. Lewis, and clinical psychologist and artist,  Amanda Iheme for an illuminating conversation on the therapeutic power of creative expression. Drawing from their unique perspectives as practitioners in both creative and therapeutic spaces, this conversation will bridge the gap between clinical understanding and artistic practice to offer insights into how trauma and art shape and reshape our mental landscape.

 

This interactive session will cover therapeutic insights, personal narratives from poets, and interactive writing exercises to showcase poetry’s role in emotional expression and healing.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 11:15 am
📍 Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Random Experiments in Bioluminescence

This intimate conversation dives into Amy Shimson-Santo’s innovative work, a rare craft accomplishment that bridges science and poetry, and examines how natural phenomena inspire artistic expression. Elizabeth Johnson joins Amy to discuss her latest book, Random Experiments in Bioluminescence, a remarkable collection of luminous poems for cherishing cultures, languages, and the earth.

Book signing to follow the session.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 12:30 pm
📍 Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Refractions of Light: A Special Reading and Performance Event

Seven remarkable poets come together in a celebration of light, resilience, and collective healing. Refractions of Light features acclaimed voices Wana Udobang, Mahogany L. Browne, Obii Ifejika, Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal, Kamnelechukwu Susan, and Dr. Helena D. Lewis in a specially curated performance that insists on solidarity, transformation, and renewal.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
📍 The Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

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Film Screening and Conversation: Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory & Benin Did Not Die

This special double screening features two compelling documentaries with poets behind the lens. See David Odiase’s Benin Did Not Die for its very first screening and catch Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún’s  well received Ebrohimie Road, a documentary on the place and events that characterized the moral courage of Africa’s most celebrated writer. They both join us for an engaging post-screening conversation on what their unique ways of seeing tell us about history, storytelling, and cultural memory.

 

Film presentations will start promptly at 4:00 PM. Join us after for an illuminating discussion with the directors.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
📍 The Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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LIPFest 2024 Poetry Slam

Get ready for an electrifying evening as poets go head-to-head in the LIPFest 2024 Poetry Slam! Under the dynamic leadership of Slam Master Bash Amuneni, this competitive showcase brings together powerful voices in a high-energy celebration of performance poetry.

 

Watch as poets battle it out with original works, competing for two million naira in prizes and a chance to represent Nigeria at the 2025 World Slam Championship. Experience the raw energy, creative wordplay, and compelling stories that make poetry slams an unforgettable spectacle.

Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Doors open at 5:45 PM. Come early to secure your spot for this crowd-favorite event!

 

Slam Master: Bash Amuneni

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 6:00 pm
📍 Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

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Folklores and Gyrations of the Oppressed

For Folklores and Gyrations of the Oppressed, we revisit pre-colonial traditions, advance into Afrofuturistic imaginations and bring the village square to life.

Bring a folktale, bring a song, and join us for a communal revival. We’ll have a story jar where the audience can participate by selecting a story or poem to share.

Hosted by Oloyede Tom.

📅 October 27th
🕒 7:45 pm
📍 Alliance Française| Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road Ikoyi
🎟️ Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Poetry After Dark: LIPFest 2024 Closing Party

Close out the Lagos International Poetry Festival with “Poetry After Dark,” an intimate silent disco experience where sensual verse meets rhythm. Don your headphones and lose yourself in a unique blend of erotic poetry and curated music, creating a personal soundscape under the Lagos night sky.

 

This adults-only event transforms the amphitheater into an immersive space where poetry whispers directly into your ears while your body moves to the beat. Dance, listen, or simply soak in the atmosphere as we celebrate the festival’s end with this innovative fusion of poetry and party.

 

Age restriction: 18+ Limited capacity. Arrive early to secure your headphones.

Free drinks at the Open Bar.

 

Note: This is a silent disco event. Headphones will be provided at the venue.

 

📅 October 27th, 2024
🕒 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
📍 The Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 ₦5,000

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Who is Afraid of Nigerian Poetry?

Titled after the Nigerian poet Kechi Nomu’s essay, written in response to the rumoured decline of Nigerian poetry and literature, this special 10th-anniversary performance event showcases some of the best of Nigerian poetry in the last ten years with performances and readings by Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi, David Odiase, Michael Imossan, Kamnelechukwu Susan, Muiz Ajayi, Tobi Abiodun, and Abu Bakr Sadiq. Hosted by Obii Ifejika.

 

📅 October 25th, 2024
🕒 7:00pm
📍 The Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

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Does Climate Science Need a New Language?

In this hybrid conversation moderated by Deji Toye, renowned poet Niyi Osundare, whose oeuvre challenges our relationship with the natural world, joins Amy Shimson-Santo, and Dr. Nnimmo Bassey to explore how poetry and art can bridge the gap between scientific data and public understanding, potentially reshaping our approach to climate action.

 

📅 October 25th, 2024
🕒 3:00pm
📍 Hybrid: Online/In-person at Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi)
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Where Butterflies Come to Rest (Exhibition)

Prince Uhunoma’s multidisciplinary exhibition blends film, poetry, and performance art to reimagine the metaphysicalities of the inanimate world and our relationship to the environment. Where Butterflies Come to Rest opens at 3:00 PM and will be open to the public for the duration of the festival.

 

📅 October 25th, 2024
🕒 3:00pm
📍 The Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi
🎫 Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Opening Ceremony and Awards

The festival opens for its 10th edition with its first decennial Special Recognition and Lifetime Achievement Awards going to Jumoke Verissimo, Sage Hasson and Niyi Osundare. Don’t miss performances by Q DanceDagogo HartObii IfejikaElliott Fant, and more.

 

📅 October 24th, 2024
🕒 6:30pm
📍 Alliance Française | Mike Adenuga Center, 9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi

🎫Free admission. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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