Events Publications July 15, 2024 Brief Report on the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project Public Engagement Activities

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.

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. 

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.

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:

The Ojile Dance, a legacy of the Biafra war, on live display during the event

A Biafra war survivor speaking during the inter-generational dialogue on the memory and legacies of the War

A cross-section of the Dancing Memories Exhibition on display at the Centre for Memories, Enugu

A cross-section of the Dancing Memories Exhibition

A moment during the intergenerational dialogue on the legacies of the Nigeria-Biafra war

A moment during the inter-generational dialogue

A section of the Dancing Memories Exhibition on display at the Centre for Memories, Enugu 2

A section of the Dancing Memories Exhibition on display at the Centre for Memories, Enugu

A war survivor performing the Igbo Kola nut ritual to open the event

A war survivor speaking during the inter-generational dialogue on the memory and legacies of the Biafra War

A war survivor taking a closer look at one of the exhbition panels

Attendees including school students touring the exhibition

Attendees viewing the exhibition guided by CFM Director, Maazi Iheanyi Igboko

CFM Employee and member of the LBHP Team, Ifeoma Nnamani, speaking at the event

During the inter-generational dialogue

LBHP co-ordinator, Stanley Onyemechalu, giving the introductory remarks

LBHP co-ordinator, Stanley Onyemechalu, speaking to the Media

LBHP Team posing with some attendees

LBHP Team posing with some war survivors

LBHP Team posing with the Ojile Dance group 2

Regalia of the Ojile Dance on display at the Dancing Memories Exhibition

Stanley thanking the war survivors at the close of the event

The audience including school groups viewing the exhibition

The LBHP Team setting up the exhibition 2

The LBHP Team setting up the exhibition 3

The LBHP Team setting up the exhibition

The Ojile Dance Group in session

The Ojile Dance, a legacy of the Biafra war, on live display during the event 2

The Ojile Dance, a legacy of the Biafra war, on live display during the event

The younger generation cheering during the event

War survivors and other attendees cheering during the event

Publications July 02, 2024 BLOG ARTICLE: Dancing Memories: The Legacies of Biafra War Exhibition.

Writing for the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, I briefly report on the public engagement activities of the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project.

Read more here: https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/dancing-memories-biafra-war 

Events May 22, 2024 DANCING MEMORIES: An Exhibition on the Underexplored Legacies of the Biafra War (1967-1970)

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.

Events March 22, 2024 LBHP DAY 2: INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE

On the second day of the LBHP narrative art contest, we engaged seniors citizens, including war veterans and survivors, in a tour of the Ozoemena exhibition and an intergenerational dialogue on the works that emerged from Day 1 of the contest.

This led to conversations about the war, their individual experiences, and how it has shaped them.

Through these interactions, we were able to explore the intergenerational knowledge/memory transfer of the Nigeria-Biafra war.

Events March 16, 2024 LBHP DAY 1 ỌZỌEMENA NARRATIVE ART CONTEST

Weeks ago, we hosted a narrative art contest, in collaboration with the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project, to explore the consciousness of young people on the Nigeria-Biafra War.

On day 1, participants gathered to express themselves via drawing/painting, poetry & short stories.