{"id":7370,"date":"2013-07-30T14:40:25","date_gmt":"2013-07-30T14:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/artists-in-silent-protest-for-national-theatre\/"},"modified":"2013-07-30T14:40:25","modified_gmt":"2013-07-30T14:40:25","slug":"artists-in-silent-protest-for-national-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/artists-in-silent-protest-for-national-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Artists in \u2018silent protest\u2019 for National Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In continuance of series of protests to stop the Federal Government\u2019s concession of the National Theatre to private investors, a coalition of Nigerian artists under the aegis, \u201cInternational Artists Collective for the Artists Village\u201d, held a silent protest on Monday, July 29, at the Artists\u2019 Village located on the grounds of National Theatre, Iganmu-Lagos.<\/div>\n
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According to a release signed by the collective based in Germany, the silent protest was necessitated by the threat the concession plan poses to the works of artists. The artists are apprehensive that their work space \u2013which is what the Artists\u2019 Village symbolises to them, \u201cwill disappear forever from the National Theatre\u201d.<\/div>\n
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The protesters adopted the \u2018Standing Man\u2019 (**Duranadam**), a new form of protest in Turkey after a man stood silently for eight hours on Taksim Square, where he was joined by many people, to \u2018protect and preserve the Nigerian identity\u2019.<\/div>\n
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After the protest, Osage Abraham Osawe, Secretary of the Artists\u2019 Village said; \u201cWe artists are like the salt of the earth. Instead of chasing us out, we want the FG to realise that this place can bring the international community to Nigeria especially for culture and arts\u201d.<\/div>\n
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He further said: \u201cWe are trying to make our voices heard. We want the government to see and feel our potentials; our energy shouldn\u2019t be buried by the government. This place is our world, the heaven for artists; if the government succeeds in chasing us out, they would have ended up killing our dreams, culture and arts. This protest is going to continue for as long as the governments can hear our voice\u201d.<\/div>\n
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Dancer Tumay Kilincel, a German national currently in Nigeria on an art exchange programme, also spoke to our reporter. \u201cI came here to meet artists, share experiences and I started to teach dance classes. I am impressed with what I have seen. From what I have been told, the Artists\u2019 Village is in danger because everything here will disappear if government takes over. I think the government should let us stay here; I use the word \u2018we\u2019 because I\u2019m a part of the artists now. I am supportive so their identity and culture do not die\u201d.<\/div>\n

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Source: National Mirror Newspaper<\/p>\n

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