Nigeria is set to make cultural history as Abuja prepares to host Africa’s first-ever joint global festival for Improvisational Theatre and Playback Theatre practitioners, bringing together artists, educators, humanitarian workers, and storytellers from around the world.
The week-long event, tagged #MeetInNigeria, will run from June 21 to 27 in the Federal Capital Territory and will attract participants from across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
Organisers say this will be the first time both global Improvisational and Playback Theatre communities are converging on the African continent for a combined festival focused on performance, training, cultural exchange, and social impact.
Daily programming will include morning workshops and masterclasses from 9 am to 5 pm, followed by evening live performances and showcases from 6 pm to 8 pm.
The festival is being organised by the Access to Creative Play Foundation and the Ensemble Improv Theatre Company, both known for advancing improvisational and playback theatre practice in Nigeria.
Festival Director and CEO of the foundation, Oluwadamilola Abdulai-Apotieri, described the event as a platform for expanding creative opportunities and driving social transformation through storytelling.
He said the initiative goes beyond performance, aiming to increase access to theatre as a tool for community development, emotional healing, and social engagement.
The opening ceremony will feature Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, as special guest of honour.
Organisers revealed that the festival will host more than 30 workshops and masterclasses, over 20 international facilitators, and more than 20 live performances involving both Nigerian and international artists.
Expected participants are coming from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Greece, South Africa, Australia, Peru, the Philippines, Sweden, Indonesia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechia, and Nigeria.
The event is projected to attract about 200 registered participants and over 1,000 audience members over seven days.
Improvisational Theatre is a form of unscripted performance where actors create scenes spontaneously, often based on audience prompts, while Playback Theatre—practised in more than 70 countries—re-enacts audience members’ personal stories on stage in real time.
Both theatre forms are increasingly used globally in education, mental health support, leadership training, conflict resolution, and community engagement.
Organisers also highlighted their work since 2015 in humanitarian and psychosocial support interventions across conflict-affected regions such as Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Benue States.
Festival partners include Black Improv Alliance, Vintage Improv Festival, Art Tech District, BAZE University, DOXA Digital Media, and Pearls Learning Hub.
