Events Publications
Brief Report on the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project Public Engagement Activities
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| The LBHP Team and some participants and judges from the Narrative Art Contest (S. Onyemechalu, 2024) |
In collaboration with the Centre for Memories, the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) designed and implemented some public engagement activities, including a narrative art contest, intergenerational dialogue, and a temporary exhibition. These events were supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation (USA) and the Royal Anthropological Institute (UK), as well as the Public Engagement Starter Fund and the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Narrative Art Contest: After months of planning, including a baseline survey and managing invitations/registrations, we held a Narrative Art Contest that involved young people (16-35 years old) in an artistic representation (painting, poetry and short essays) of their knowledge on the Biafra war and its legacies. We received about 77 attendees, out of which 35 young participants registered for the art contest across the three art categories. At the end of the day, we got 17 paintings, 10 poetry and 5 short story submissions.
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The LBHP Narrative Art Contest in session (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
Intergenerational Dialogue: The next day, we held an interactive session between the Narrative Art contest participants from Day 1 and some Biafra war survivors/veterans, where these artistic expressions were presented and discussed. On the one hand, the young participants got an opportunity – the first time for many of them – to listen to the experience of the war survivors firsthand. On the other hand, the war survivors got a chance to discuss their war experience with and admonish the younger generation.
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During the intergenerational dialogue (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
Exhibition: Due to the massive interest that we received from the public after our two-day event, we decided to add a third day to allow us plan and launch an exhibition of the results of the narrative art contest to a wider audience. Planning for this involved curating the art submissions, scripting the exhibition as well as designing and printing labels to be tagged to the paintings and printing the essays and short stories for public consumption. On May 28, 2024– as part of the week-long activities to commemorate the declaration of the Biafran Republic (on May 30, 1967) – we launched a public exhibition titled ‘Dancing Memories’, where we presented the results from our Narrative Art Contest, among other activities, including a live dance performance by the Ojile dance group, and another intergenerational dialogue on the Biafra war and its legacies. This event was well attended by school students, youths, war survivors and the media.
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The ‘Dancing Memories’ Exhibition at CFM, Enugu State. (S. Onyemechalu, 2024). |
VIDEOS:
1. We featured on Afia TV's Morning Talk Show to raise awareness for the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project (LBHP) ‘Dancing Memories’ exhibition, which focused on the underexplored legacies of the Biafra war. Watch below:
2. The ‘Dancing Memories’ exhibition was also later covered in a news report by Afia TV station.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS:
