Update from Qudus' blog

Jul 11, 2009

Memories worth sharing.

There are some memories that hurts, it could be positive or negative, Yes positive memories do hurt most, some people we met for a very little period and other as long as a lifetime, yet its beautiful to share some wonderful memories of them with them. I Dedicated my facebook status to the memory of all the wonderful people i have met on this earth, and asked them all to post a comment with a memory worth sharing. "If you are reading this, even if we don't speak often, lets bring good times back to life, It can be anything you want... YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY IT AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT YOU WILL GET. It was really amazing to hear the comments... when i woke up to see them, i got teary eyes, as i read through i got a flash of memories worth bringing back to life with everyone of them. I've been to 32 countries around the world, even though i can't remember them all but some memories will never leave me...

Tracy Robinson:
We have never met, but i feel like i have known you for lifetime before, my joy for Q'd is the way you romance complete strangers into friends and unite us all in harmony.
Peace back at ya my brother.


@ Tracy, its really funny cos we've never met but one thing i have realised is that, the new media has brougth us the ultimate news of 'the death of distance' i no longer differentiate between my Cyber friends and my real time friends, one thing they all have in common is that they rarely see me, and i usually talk to them all online or at most on phone. I've always been tripped at your love for my country and your activism. Thanks for always sharing your opinion on a wide range of subject that you don't even know i am aware of.

Awoniyi Temitope:
do u realise there is no way u will tell ur success"story" that my name will not be mentioned....... Remember this... When i noticed ur talent then among MUTAC uncle Aliu called me to tell me that we should have a dance captain..."non-unanimously" if i will say, i accepted u should be but ilk such as Ogbolu. Yinka, Femi and their cohorts never wanted this recognition of yours cos they negatively envied d stuff u were made of, so they where not happy with my judgement till today they still call me Qudus' padi ...thank God am proud to "wear" that tag 2day..lolssssss


@Awoniyi. Mr talent hunt, no one asked you for endorsement, all we asked for is a memory worth sharing olodo...lol, anyway you know your own case is a different one, we can count millions of memories to share since 1996, but bro let me tell you one thing that will never go away from my subconscious, in 2001, i was to resit for my SSCE exams, and the exam dates clashed with my residency in far away badagry for the black heritage festival with the National troupe, i called upon you and with all the risk involved, my face in the id card, while we don't really look alike lol, yet you did it and not just did it, but passed the exams, when i think about that level of affection, it makes me forgive some crazy things you do from time to time... lol, love you bro.

Isabelle Holmes:
Dancing with you, Kat, Kingsley and Vincent at Williams and freaking out when we lifted each other cuz I just couldn't get the timing right. Loving every moment with you and hoping for many more.


@Isabelle. There is something really special about you, and i hope to realise what it is one day, Williamstown has every attributes of a really boring place, but the way you transformed it to a life time memory seems extraordinary, later on we extended it to jacob's pillow, where i learnt more about you, your love, your compositor dad and photographer mum, what a beauty. I remember the day we were to say goodbye, with you kingsley and myself driving around, looking for a place to sit and eat. and i knew it was just a way to stretch the goodbye hug..; lol, but i'm glad we shall be seeing in Miane soon.

Yordanka Evgenieva:
We met on a small backstreet in Downtown Cairo about a year ago. You were performing "Do we need Cola Cola to dance?" and I was stunned by what I saw. I remember we chatted a bit after the performance, sitting on the sidewalk, about the meaning of dance, the craziness of Cairo and something else maybe. Words I often forget, but beautiful, meaningful movements like the ones I saw that afternoon, always stay in my memory.


@Yordanka, you are one of those few people in my life experience, that i met for less than 2hrs and still remembers the time we shared vividly, yes it was in Cairo in June 2007, not last year, after my street performance in from of the townhouse gallery, you and your friend whose name i can't remember had a nice discussion and that was a nice moment... and one more thing, each time i watch the film that followed that tour, i see your face again... lol.

Dayo Kammy Onikeku:
We met through our lovely mama and papa


@Kammy. The big BROTHER, what other memory do i need to share with a die hard brother that has been there since i was born, lol, wow, if i begin to tell you all the memories i have in head right now, fb will need to give me extra sheet...

Due to my early vagabond nature, that made me a nomad from the age of 17, most of the best moment i can share with you happens during our childhood, wow this is very hard, but i'm on it, lol. I remember how much we used to fight, over everything, how i used to be this over stubborn tiny little boy, always want to have the last word, expecially when you get really raged at the fact that you are my elder, so i must respect that, and we will fight as if that will determine who is older, even though, most times i get your punches real hard but i think i learnt how not to cry with you, yes hard guy. When we happen to be on the road to mum's shop, i can remember clearly, you will tell me "don't walk with me, don't let people think you are my brother..." lol, then you will cross to the other side of the road, and say "if you follow me i will kill you..." lol, yet i will follow u, and u'll cross again until i finally get fed up, then i will say "who is even following you, you too don't follow me".

When i remember those moments, i will laugh and laugh alone, cos i know they mean nothing now, cos even with all those dramas, i still remember leaving my school very early to come to your school to see all the people you talk about at home, i remember going all the way to see you play soccer, i used to be filled with pride and joy seeing you on the field of play, i just don't know whatever happened to your soccer legs now lol, cos you'd have been really great. Bro i love you and really proud to have a brother like you and i believe in you.

Lailah Masiga:
Danse l'Afrique Danse !- Paris...never knew you before that..just an intro next to the lifts at the hotel and hence a friendship and groupieness. Then... Your shocked face walking outta JKIA (Jomo Kenyatta Int. Airport)... I bet you didnt think I'd come lol... Oh the lovely groupie moments that followed... and am still your friend and you mine. Above all, your down to earth manner...I love love love. So when can new 'good times' be created oga?


@Lailah, Karibu yunbani, my lovely sister, my sister full of pride and respect for herself, so how can anybody meet you and not identify that, ok this is funny, i think this is what i identified in you and Isabelle, ladies that make you want to respect every other ladies, the real memory of mine is when we met again in Nairobi, wow that was so much great time, Nairobi seem like Lagos with u around all the time. Thanks for being a friend forever.

Juliet Seun Ajayi:
I took intr. In you cos you have something that i so desire to use but i have not been bold enough to step out and now i feel i'm way above that age even though i'm 27 yrs now but somethng on the inside keeps tellng me that i can still do it even if its for a while, bro love you, keep the good work up :-)


@Juliet, Thank you very much for that revelation, i've never met you, and we've never spoke, but hey you belong to my human family and may the Almighty continue to give us all the strenght to inspire confidence in others, both those we know and those we do not know. plenty Regards.

Kafayat Quadri:
Yes, We met at PoetryPotter and I saw your performance with the Crown Troupe that u did alone and then watched the one u did with a lady on stage with Asa; it was beautiful.


@Kafayat, I remember we had a quick chat at PoetryPotter, even though there were many people on me after my performance, i was really glad to see you around at the National theatre. Thanks for the encouragement.

Alli Hajarat:
This is one memory that is very constant in my mind and gives me joy everytime, but you know we met more than once, the first time was before we were born, when God did a formal introduction between us, i remembered he said, "hajarat, here is your soul mate", thank u for bringing this back, no regrets whatsoever knowing you, i will do it all over again, if possible. Love you loads


@H.R the big APPLE, lol Don't know what to say about you, its like sharing the memories of myself with myself, lol, cos you already know any thing i will say right now, maybe i should talk about the first day we met at Ikoyi. In your Friday attire, i tripped for God's artistry that day; you looked immaculate, perfect, unexplored, pure and innocent; i wonder if you've ever walked under Lagos sun, or you've created your own winter around you, i sat under the 'la pallet' of the french cultural canter after the french class, and as you walked down from the class, you cat-walked towards me even though i'm not afraid of height, i felt like i was looking down from the top of a mountain.

Even when i perform for thousands of people, i know no stage fright, your audience paralysed me. I was staring into your doll-like eye balls, your snow white teeth, your pointed nose, your kissable lips, i was so convinced that i will be unable to understand whatever falls out of your lips, perhaps it will be some angelic codes that only Dan Brown will be able to decode. The greatest shock came when you opened your mouth to say our normal 'Hi', gosh... So earthy, even more surprised when you asked if i'll teach you French. I thought the divinity in you will understand all the languages of this world and above... lol, knowing you is really a great gift from God, God bless the day we met.

With love from your humble extravagant lover, thanks for making this happen, cos if you'd said NO on the 17th of January 2006, we wouldn't have known what we are missing in our lives.

KISSES AND BIG HUG.

LOVE YOU ALL.

Jul 6, 2009

ewaBAMIJO : CALL FOR PROPOSALS

ewaBAMIJO : CALL FOR PROPOSALS AND SUBMISSION OF NEW/EXISTING WORKS

WHO WE ARE.Yk Projects is a small scale organisation, legally registered and operates between Nigeria and France as an Artistic entity, it constantly re-unites new generation artists from different sectors of the art, for the execution and dissemination of artistic and socio-cultural projects, all with the intentions of creating an alternative landscape for the local audience to be aware of the arts through out door performances, new media and publications.
Yk Projects has left her imprint in the subconscious of many around the globe, getting more involved in the contemporary dance and circus art discourse in Africa, Europe and America at large, through stage performances, street happenings, archives of dance related materials, documentary films, articles, blogging, workshops and participation in big festivals and conferences.
ACTIVITIES
Our main activities include creations and performances (Mainly Dance, New circus art and Street arts with the fusion of other media), Coverage and documentation of art related profiles for media and archival purposes, event organizations such as ewaBAMIJO, public jams, workshops and conferences.
ewaBAMIJO.

ewaBAMIJO is a bi-annual festival for interdisciplinary arts, specially dedicated to infecting the city of Lagos and establishing relationships through DANCE, CIRCUS, COMEDY, MUSIC, DANCE DRAMA, SPOKEN WORD, PERFORMANCE ART and other interdisciplinary art forms, under one dance umbrella, that brings about conferences, debates, film screening and performances. EBJ 2009 will hold from 27th to 31st October 2009.

Since 2005 Yk Projects organised EBJ locally in Lagos, with the aim of expanding and merging the dance frontiers with other local artistes. In 2005 and 2006, EBJ was organised as a one-day event that gathered artistes of different genres, amongst which are dancers, musicians, comedians, poets, actors and journalists, to come under one dance umbrella, as means of enforcing our collecting impact on the society. EBJ will later become a bi-annual and international event from 2009, but still dedicated to local development.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS.
The Self Imagining of EBJ is an étude in negation. Neither global nor local; Neither Western nor African; Neither mainstream nor independent, Neither tourist spectacle nor high art. Not multiculturalism; Not tribalism; Not showcase of new stars; Not competition for superiority; Not a patriotic celebration of our heroes and wins... With this edition, we call for the renovation of the practices and theoretical interface of contemporary art around the world, to depart from its all pervasive socio-political discourse and fantasies, but work together with other kind of artists, scholars, students, critics and our audience, to discover new modes of thinking and develop new analytical tools for dealing with the arts world under our circumstances, and bring attention to the 'limits of globalisation'.

ewaBAMIJO has several components that revolve around this year’s theme:

1. New/Existing Works.
2. Commissioned Works.
3. Invited Works (strictly by invitation).

We are inviting interested Artistes from all over Nigeria to apply to participate in the New/Existing Works and/or with a Commissioned Work.

NEW/EXISTING WORKS.
For the 2009 edition of ewaBAMIJO, we wish to present original boundary-breaking, cutting edge, socially-engaged performance works to people from all walks of life, including the media, and provide a platform for Dancers, Actors, Musicians, Comedians, Poets, Circus artistes, Performance artists as well as Spoken word artists, to collaborate with others from different backgrounds and disciplines in making innovative, provocative, thought-provoking, non-commercial performance works; We are particularly, though not exclusively, interested in collaborative interdisciplinary works that reunites two or more artistic expressions. Please note that we do not accept works less than 15 minutes or more than 30 minutes.

COMMISSIONED WORKS.
We are also calling for proposals for new performance works. Site-specific works that could be performed in public and non conventional spaces. We are not looking for ‘plays’ or specific 'dance pieces' in this context, but Performance art pieces, performance installations, public space acts, improvisations, road shows etc. made by interesting collaborative teams or individuals will attract our interest.

If this project appeals to you please apply with a detailed proposal indicating which component you wish to apply for, outlining the form and the content of the piece, the creative team, the type of venue and size of performance. Technical details if necessary, C.Vs, clear photographs of the creative team or one that represents the piece should be included, an audio or video sample of your work would be advantageous. Your proposal must be clear and convincing. Proposals should be submitted online through proposals@ewabamijo.com, and it MUST reach us latest by 10th of August 2009.

Only selected works shall be contacted before 15th of September 2009. Selected participants should be ready to collaborate with other disciplines. The creative team of ewaBAMIJO might find different proposals from two or more distinct artists, propositional to merge ideas, e.g A dance piece with a poet, a musician with a dancer... but no decision shall be taken without your consent.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards.

Qudus ONIKEKU
Artistic Director and Project coordinator
ewaBAMIJO