ABOUT LIPFEST 2023
LIPFest 2023: “Sanctuary” – Holding Space for Stillness and Renewal
The Lagos International Poetry Festival (LIPFest) is excited to announce its 2023 edition, scheduled to take place from Thursday, October 26th to Sunday, October 29th, with the theme “Sanctuary,” a four-day series of events designed to hold space for stillness and renewal.
As the accelerated pace of hyper-capitalism continues to splinter our attention in several anxious directions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain private and public environments for the kind of contemplative attention to which we owe the most profound of human achievements. The consequence has been the steady dissolution of silence into noise, independent thinking into groupthink, and as the Korean philosopher, Byung-Chul Han, cleverly put it, “a low tolerance of boredom,” that disallows “the profound idleness that benefits the creative process.” And so, for LIPFest 2023, we draw on the psycho-spiritual resources of art and poetry, literature and culture, to call us back to solitude and a re-connection to self and truth.
LIPFest 2023 will offer a diverse range of artistic experiences, including performances and readings, panel discussions and workshops, film screenings and exhibitions. The festival is proud to present a line-up of prominent artists, poets, writers, activists, healers, and thinkers dedicated to creating an immersive sanctuary for reflection and wellness over the course of four transformative days.
Visitors can also look forward to yoga and wellness sessions, a movement therapy space, a game room, and an on-site private oasis for writing and reflection.
Though tightly curated around yearly themes, LIPFest also presents opportunities to feature as a guest or curate an independent event. Applications open till Friday, July 21st 2023.
We invite you to join us at Alliance Française/Mike Adenuga Center, 9, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos for LIPFest 2023 as we hold space for rest, for renewal, for joy. Sign up here for updates on guest line-up, festival programme, and open calls.