All is now set for the staging of ‘All for Peace’ at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State. The play will be performed by Performing Arts students of the institution on July 17 and 18, as part of the Thespian Theatre & Productions’ Komuniti Project deploying drama to champion the cause of the environment.
It is coming after a successful launch at the BOWEN University, Iwo, where Thespian partnered the school. Rasaki Ojo-Bakare’s ‘Ekun Omi’ (When Water Cries) was successfully performed at BOWEN by its theatre students.
‘All for Peace’, is being directed by Zachariah Akinmoladun. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Thespian Theatre, Ayo Jaiyesimi, it will be on stage on the campus, at the palace of the town’s monarch and in the market square, bringing to memory the communal and travelling traditional theatre concept in Africa.
She adds that the Komuniti Project, according to Jaiyesimi, will straddle 14 universities. Others, apart from BOWEN and AUUA, are Dennis Osadebe University, Osun State University, Lagos State University, Ojo and Imo State University.
Also hosting the train are Ekiti State University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kaduna State University, Kogi State University, University of Abuja, University of Port Harcourt, University of Lafia and University of Lokoja.
Jaiyesimi says in a statement: “For over 20 years, THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions has been dedicated to using visual storytelling to drive social and behavioral change through community-focused initiatives. This season, our spotlight is on the environment, a critical issue that demands attention. We are aligning our focus with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and zeroing in on SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 14, and 15.
“The environment plays a vital role in our lives, and it is our responsibility to care for it and maintain ecological balance. Despite measures and propaganda, apathy remains a significant challenge. Therefore, we have taken a personal approach to address this issue. We are engaging with the community and community groups through workshops, readings, stage plays, competitions, and roadshows to reinforce government efforts and global interventions.”
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She explains that the creative sector, particularly the performing arts, has the power to inspire social change by presenting vivid pictures of current situations, the need for change, and the benefits of collective action.
“We are collaborating with 14 universities in 2024/25 to drive awareness and social change. These universities will participate in workshops, scriptwriting, and performances to showcase environmental issues and promote sustainable practices,” she further notes.
Head of Performing Arts Department at AAUA, Dr Abayomi Agboade Adegbamigbe, notes that ‘All for Peace’ is woven around a group of 16 off-campus students in Ogunlowo’s multi-tenanted ramshackle building located next to a canal. Aside its deplorable state of disrepair, only one toilet serves the entire house with a pipe channelling the waste directly to the canal. A number of events trigger a conflict that eventually gets resolved in favour of environmental sanity.
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