November 09, (THEWILL) – In a bid to promote indigenous tourism and cultural content, the organisers of Africa’s Premier Cultural Fusion Event, Culturati, have announced that the 2023 edition will break with tradition.
The Project Coordinator of Culturati for 2023, Ms Tiwashayo Odugbesan, gave the hint on Wednesday, at a press conference in Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
At the event to kick off activities marking the 17 edition of Culturati, organisers used the opportunity to unveil plans to showcase wealthy tourism facilities, among other cultural contents to their guests.
Throughout the event, Africa’s biggest cultural showcase has excellently promoted its brands, built hype around it, and even unveiled various plans for the upcoming event including day and venues.
According to the schedule of events, the main event will feature a beachside exhibition of food, fashion, arts, etc, slated to run from 11am between November 30 and December 2 at Sol Beach, Victoria Island, while the grand finale will take place at 6pm on December 3 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island.
Culturati is Africa’s largest cultural fusion and for 17 years has dedicatedly remained a catalyst for the creative economy, consistently creating opportunities for African creatives and SMEs to leverage. The programme annually brings together Africans to explore the many aspects of Africa’s rich and diverse culture in an attempt to establish culture and arts as veritable tools for social cohesion, youth development, tourism and economic empowerment.
Now in its 17th year, the 2023 edition of the annual cultural fiesta will be preceded by a symposium themed: “Enhancing Africa’s Economy Through Investments in Culture, Arts & Tourism” on November 16, at Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos, at noon.
Odugbesan, however, assured cultural enthusiasts and the arts community that this year’s event has been specially curated to give attendees and participants a broader feel of the African experience on what she called “a global canvas.”
“This year, we are serving out a far richer variety of the entire artistic and cultural spectrum that will cater to everyone regardless of nationality, ethnic origin or cultural orientation. It’s African culture on a global canvas,” Odugbesan told journalists in Lagos.
She added that the 2023 edition will feature art exhibitions and competitions, fashion shows, a food village, a talent hunt, games, music, an award ceremony and assorted displays of entertainment.
According to Odugbesan, the theme for this year’s Culturati is, “Exploring Opportunities in African Culture for Economic Development via Strategic Investments in Tech, Tourism & Art.”
Created originally as Sisi Oge in 2006, Culturati has evolved over the years to become an important part of the entertainment landscape in Lagos, drawing local and foreign visitors annually.
In her reaction, Head of Brands and Communication of Culturati, Ms Fumi Ojo, said, “There is nobody doing culture like we do. There are things we hardly see on the beach and there will be masquerades display and that’s part of the culture. There is a whole lot we are doing differently and we want to open up more for people to see. Also, we have a lot of envoys from different countries that are part of this and will attend and we can promote that tourism part of it.”
Speaking further, she said, “We give back to society in our Culturati academy. We scouted for students and empowered them to attain their topmost desired dreams and aspirations.,
On security, she said there would be access cards and registrations to access the event venue, adding that “There would be a soft security operative on the ground to ensure everything is under control.”
In addition, Chief Executive Officer Of GMH Luxury, Ayoolanrewaju Kuyesi, noted that the GMH collaboration with Culturati birthed out of the in-depth desire to promote Yoruba culture. According to him, the activities of Culturati entirely depict the culture of the Yoruba extraction.
“Our culture is our heritage and earns the partnership with Culturati. And this is actually wonderful and we have seen what Culturati is doing and we want to actually collaborate with Culturati to take this year’s event to the very best level.
“As a brand, we have done so much in providing housing in Gbagada, Lekki and Ikoyi. We have moved away from only providing residential apartments to hospitality and tourism, which Culturati actually represents. And in every development, there is a threshold of our Yoruba culture and adaptability into our very development.
“Culturati represents the Yoruba culture in a way that is marketable and saleable to the entire world. GMH stands for creating a house that actually becomes a home and this is because not every house can be called home,” he stated.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
