Beeta Arts Festival sets for enriched third edition in Abuja

The organisers of Beeta Arts Festival (BAF), an incubation African festival for arts and culture, is set for its third edition in Abuja from December 6-10, 2023.

Also, OJ Posharella of Real Housewives of Abuja and Tony Edet (Thin Tall Tony of Big Brother Naija), will serve as goodwill personalities for the third edition of the festival that brings African creatives together for a week-long feast of cultural extravaganza. Beeta Art Festival is a creative campaign curated to encourage interaction and collaborations among African creatives for a better dialogue in the arts and culture scene, with the aim of bridging the gap between new and existing players whilst inspiring the creation of more content for existing and new audiences.

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According to a statement made available by Funmbi Popoola, the festival will be held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, 1 Ladi Kwali Street, Abuja. The hotel is a Nigerian premium hospitality brand passionate about local creativity with its support for the growth of arts and culture at its operating community.

The festival aims to bring together a fusion of creative minds and spotlight both emerging and established African performing artists. BAF will be a meeting point for artistic expression, offering a platform for talent to be discovered and appreciated by new audiences. Attendees can immerse themselves in a dynamic array of stage plays, films, musical performances, workshops and conversations. Beeta Arts Festival is a market square of culture that captures the essence of Africa’s diverse and creative tapestry.

“We believe in the power of the arts to transcend boundaries and unite people,” Bikiya Graham-Douglas, founder, Beeta Arts Festival, said.

“This festival is a celebration of the vibrant artistic spirit that defines who we are, and we invite the world to join us in this cultural festivity.”

The third edition of the festival is themed, ‘New Narratives, Limitless Possibilities’, and will showcase an array of plays and a rich selection of films from across the African continent, which are curated by Fibby Kioria and Hawa Essuman of Manyatta Screenings, Kenya. The films were selected from across the continent including; Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria.

As well, plays will include new work from the Beeta Playwright Competition alumni. They will be curated by Olarotimi Fakunle, actor and festival producer. There will be musical performances from the soulful jazzy songstress Jessica Bongos and Nigerian female rap superstar OJ Posharella, among others.

In solidarity with 16 days of activism, there will be a spotlight film screening in conjunction with the Orange Nigeria Project. It is an initiative led by Ireti Habeebah Kingibe, Senate Committee Chairperson on Women Affairs, to activate a national call to eliminate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) across communities in Nigeria. The US Embassy will also show a documentary film Nevertheless by filmmaker Sarah Moshman on Saturday, December 9, 2023.

This year’s festival is proudly sponsored by Abuja Continental Hotel, Chairborne Global Services Limited, with support from Century Group, First Bank, Doyenne Circle, Zenith Bank, 6ixx Lounge and Grill, Paper Worth Books Limited, Five Two Media with media partnerships from Cool FM, WazobiaFm, Nigeria Info, BellaNaija, Beat FM, Classic FM, HipTV, AccelerateTV, Abuja Literary Society and YNaija.

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Beeta Arts Festival will bring to an end what is easily Nigeria’s 3-month long festival season that started in early October and ran through November and December 2023 that saw no less than 50 festivals from across different states of the federation. According to Poopla, BAF is an “opportunity to be part of an immersive event that celebrates the kaleidoscope of African creativity. Beeta Art Festival is not just a festival; it is a testament to the enduring power of art to inspire, connect, and redefine boundaries.”