On November 6th G.A.S. Foundation hosted École du Festival, a collaborative and experimental Study Day focused on re-examining and reactivating the cultural, political, and artistic legacies of pan-African festivals. Organised in the framework of G.A.S. Foundation’s Annotations programme, the Study Day served as a site for critical dialogue between artists and researchers working on pan-African festivals and the interested public. This event was segmented into two sessions each offering a space for in-depth exploration and discussion.
École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024 to guests.
SESSION ONE - SCRIPTORIUM
The first session of the study day began with a welcome address by video artist, curator, and Annotations Research Associate, Ufuoma Ogbemudje. Following this, the Annotations Programme co-curators Naima Hassan and Maryam Kazeem provided an in-depth presentation on the conceptual framework of the Annotations programme. Naima and Maryam guided the audience through a detailed presentation, reflecting on the programmatic milestones of Annotations project thus and its accompanying publication, Annotations in Four Acts, to be released in 2025. The presentation explored how the programme has explored the key theme of the archival afterlives of the twentieth-century pan-African festivals, inviting attendees to consider its impact on contemporary archival research practices.
Welcome address by video artist, curator, and Annotations Research Associate Ufuoma Ogbemudje presenting at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
The curator’s introduction was accompanied by a projected montage of Ufuoma Ogbemudje’s film Automatism produced during the programme, as a visual homage to the shared histories that link FESTAC’77 with the pan-African festivals that took place in Dakar (FESMAN 77), Algiers (PANAF) and Kinshasa (Zaïre 74). Across the day, a sonic station assembled by Annotations residents Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani featured a selection of vinyls produced within these histories.
Co-curators of the Annotations Programme, Naima Hassan and Maryam Kazeem presenting at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
Following this, invited speakers Tosin Adeosun, Rufus Nwoko, Seyi Olusanya, and Timilehin Oludare shared works, which have engaged with the archival legacies of FESTAC ‘77. The speakers shared their works-in-progress and reflective interventions, addressing the cultural significance of FESTAC '77 and its continuing influence on contemporary African art and thought.
Scriptorium speaker Tosin Adeosun at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
Scriptorium speaker Timilehin Oludare at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
Scriptorium speaker Seyi Olusanya at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
Scriptorium speaker Rufus Nwoko at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
The session concluded with a Scriptorium workshop, where participants took part in a collective writing and drawing exercise. This interactive session allowed attendees to engage creatively with the earlier presentations, using their own positionalities, research practices, and geographical contexts. The workshop provided an interactive space for reflection and creative expression.
Participants immersed in the Scriptorium workshop at École du Festival Study Day, Session One, presented on 6th November 2024.
Group photograph of Scriptorium workshop contributors, at École du Festival Study Day, presented on 6th November 2024.
SESSION TWO - ARCHIVAL CHOREOGRAPHIES
After the first session, the event transitioned into a second, experimental segment led by residents Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani, marking the conclusion of their four-week residency at G.A.S. Lagos. This session featured a cartographic performance based on their archival research and experiences in Lagos and Ibadan, using innovative spatial strategies. Through a lecture performance, Liz and Theophilus enacted a series of discoveries, unveiling archival items from their boxes and setting up a materials table for audience interaction.
Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani presenting their Annotations Shadow Box at École du Festival Study Day, Session Two, presented on 6th November 2024.
With their Annotations Shadow Box, Liz and Theophilus brought to light lesser-known histories of twentieth-century pan-African festivals. The performance unfolded in three acts, encompassing archival revelations, audience participation, and a live music performance featuring pianist and composer Philip A. Balogun.
Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani's Annotations Shadow Box at École du Festival Study Day, Session Two, presented on 6th November 2024.
Philip A. Balogun piano performance at École du Festival Study Day, Session Two, presented on 6th November 2024.
The session concluded with an opportunity for the audience to engage directly with the materials presented by the artists and take home items from the Shadow Box. Offerings from the artists included photo negatives assembled using acetate, bark cloth, printed ephemera, and plant sediments collected during their research encounters in Lagos and Ibadan.
Audience participation in the courtyard, where volunteers engage in a text-photo association choreography led by Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani at École du Festival Study Day, Session Two, presented on 6th November 2024.
Participants interacting with photo negatives from the Annotations Shadow Box at École du Festival Study Day, Session Two, presented on 6th November 2024.
Photograph of outgoing Annotations residents Liz Kobusinge and Theophilus Imani, at École du Festival Study Day, presented on 6th November 2024.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: 6th November, 2024
Session One: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Session Two: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: 9B, Hakeem Dickson Drive, off TF Kuboye Road, Oniru, Lagos
The Annotations residency and École du Festival Study Day are supported by Outset Contemporary Art Fund.
