History, Memory, Heritage.
The Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) is an offshoot of Stanley Onyemechalu's ongoing PhD research on the complex intersections of cultural heritage and the legacies of violent conflicts in the context of the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967-1970)....
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Stanley Jachike Onyemechalu, a doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) was featured on an episode of Eastern Eye hosted by Alex Ogbodo's on Afia Tv.
After news broke of his award at the 2024 Cambridge Awards for Research Impact & Engagement, Stanley was invited to talk about his research and his work on the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project.
WATCH BELOW:
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LBHP Founder and Director, Stanley Jachike Onyemechalu, was awarded Runner Up in the Early Career Research category at the University of Cambridge 2024 Vice Chancellor's Awards for Research Impact and Engagement for his work on the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project. Presented by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Deborah Prentice, this award recognises outstanding Cambridge-based scholars whose ground breaking research incorporate innovative public engagement and impact society.
Read more about this award here on any of these various platforms:
arch.cam.ac.uk: Triple Celebration for Cambridge Archaeologists at Awards for Research Impact and Engagement
thecable.ng: Cambridge University honours Nigerian PhD student for research on Biafra war
punchng.com: Cambridge honours Nigerian PhD student for Biafra Heritage Project
https://punchng.com/cambridge-honours-nigerian-phd-student-for-biafra-heritage-project/
gatescambridge.org: Scholars win recognition for impact and engagement
https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/scholar-win-recognition-for-impact-and-engagement/
PHOTOS:
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| (Left to right) Stanley Jachike Onyemechalu, Dr Tamsin O'Connell and Dr Nik Petek-Sargeant | Image: Cambridge Chronicles |
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| Celebrations at the Awards Ceremony | Image: Cambridge Chronicles |
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| The LBHP Team and some participants and judges from the Narrative Art Contest (S. Onyemechalu, 2024) |
In collaboration with the Centre for Memories, the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) designed and implemented some public engagement activities, including a narrative art contest, intergenerational dialogue, and a temporary exhibition. These events were supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation (USA) and the Royal Anthropological Institute (UK), as well as the Public Engagement Starter Fund and the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Narrative Art Contest: After months of planning, including a baseline survey and managing invitations/registrations, we held a Narrative Art Contest that involved young people (16-35 years old) in an artistic representation (painting, poetry and short essays) of their knowledge on the Biafra war and its legacies. We received about 77 attendees, out of which 35 young participants registered for the art contest across the three art categories. At the end of the day, we got 17 paintings, 10 poetry and 5 short story submissions.
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The LBHP Narrative Art Contest in session (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
Intergenerational Dialogue: The next day, we held an interactive session between the Narrative Art contest participants from Day 1 and some Biafra war survivors/veterans, where these artistic expressions were presented and discussed. On the one hand, the young participants got an opportunity – the first time for many of them – to listen to the experience of the war survivors firsthand. On the other hand, the war survivors got a chance to discuss their war experience with and admonish the younger generation.
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During the intergenerational dialogue (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
Exhibition: Due to the massive interest that we received from the public after our two-day event, we decided to add a third day to allow us plan and launch an exhibition of the results of the narrative art contest to a wider audience. Planning for this involved curating the art submissions, scripting the exhibition as well as designing and printing labels to be tagged to the paintings and printing the essays and short stories for public consumption. On May 28, 2024– as part of the week-long activities to commemorate the declaration of the Biafran Republic (on May 30, 1967) – we launched a public exhibition titled ‘Dancing Memories’, where we presented the results from our Narrative Art Contest, among other activities, including a live dance performance by the Ojile dance group, and another intergenerational dialogue on the Biafra war and its legacies. This event was well attended by school students, youths, war survivors and the media.
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The ‘Dancing Memories’ Exhibition at CFM, Enugu State. (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
VIDEOS:
1. We featured on Afia TV's Morning Talk Show to raise awareness for the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) ‘Dancing Memories’ exhibition, which focused on the underexplored legacies of the Biafra war. Watch below:
2. The ‘Dancing Memories’ exhibition was also later covered in a news report by Afia TV station.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS:
Read more here: https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/dancing-memories-biafra-war
Following our successful Narrative Art Contest, we invite you to an exhibition on the under-explored legacies of the Nigeria-Biafra war.
The exhibition is themed "Dancing Memories," and it aims to portray the dynamic nature of the memories of war as they are neither static nor unidirectional but has a pattern to it, as during a dance.
As some dances are vibrant and fervent in rhythm, others are gentle and lethargic, and this can be observed in the Memories of the Nigeria-Biafra War.
This exhibition is a display of the results of our narrative art contest (paintings, poetry, and short story excerpts) alongside other channels through which the memory of the Biafra War has been kept alive, including the 'Ojile Dance' from Enugu-Ezike, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Join us on Tuesday, 28th May, 2024, 12 pm prompt, to witness our history in art.
