The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kwara State Chapter, with the support of Kwara State Government, has announced a statewide poetry performance workshop for secondary school teachers as part of activities to promote creative writing and performance poetry among students in the state.
The workshop, themed “From Page to Stage: Teaching and Performing Poetry in the 21st Century,” will hold on April 4 at the Kwara State University Conference Centre in Ilorin. The programme is being organised in commemoration of World Poetry Day and is designed to train teachers who will later guide students in spoken word and performance poetry.
In a statement released on Friday and jointly signed by the Chairman of ANA Kwara, Dr. El-Nasir M. Al-Amin, and the Secretary, Mr. AbdulHafeez T. Oyewole, the association said the workshop forms part of its effort to nurture young literary talents and strengthen the culture of creative writing in secondary schools across Kwara State.
Dr. Al-Amin disclosed that letters have already been sent to secondary schools across the state, inviting them to nominate teacher-representatives for the workshop.
“The workshop is free of charge for school teachers, as it is part of the efforts of the Kwara State Government to promote creative education as a core social responsibility” he stressed.
He explained that the selected teachers would later train their students in preparation for the larger statewide spoken word and performance poetry competition scheduled for May.
According to the organising writer’s body, the April 4 workshop will feature interactive sessions on poetry writing, spoken word, and performance poetry, giving teachers the opportunity to engage with experienced scholars and facilitators who will provide practical guidance on teaching and performing poetry in modern classrooms.
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The event will also feature a keynote address by Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, a Professor of African Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Ibadan and a visiting professor and writer at several international universities. Other guest speakers expected at the programme include Prof. Isiaka Aliagan of Kwara State University, Malete; Dr. Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu, Head of the Department of English at Kwara State University; and Dr. Toyin Shittu of the Department of Languages, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.
The statement also noted that there will be panel discussions to be facilitated by: Dr. Mohammed El-Nasir Al-Amin (a poet and performance scholar), Mr Olalekan Omowonuola (a stage director), and Mr. Joshua Bassey Asuquo (a spoken word poet).
The association further stated that the workshop will serve as a preparatory platform for the statewide Spoken Word and Performance Poetry Competition scheduled for May, which will feature students from junior and senior secondary schools trained by the participating teachers.
ANA Kwara therefore encouraged secondary schools across the state to nominate one teacher with a strong interest in digital creative writing, spoken word, or performance poetry to participate in the training. The organisers added that transportation support would be provided for participating teachers.
The association noted that the initiative is aimed at promoting literary creativity, critical thinking, and public performance skills among students, while also strengthening the role of teachers as mentors in the development of young writers in Kwara state.
