The Committee of Relevant Arts (CORA) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Freedom Park, Lagos. The event, which doubled as one of the body’s renowned Art Stampedes provided a platform for reassessment of its goals, Paul ADE-ADELEYE and AJIBOLA OLUWATOYIN write.
The committee for relevant arts recently organised its 25th anniversary and had a host of members of the culture, literary, and theatre sectors in attendance. They all gathered, with a cavalry of journalists in tow, to discuss art and take stock of CORA’s accomplishments over the course of a quarter century.
The stampede, which holds quarterly, has an unwavering modus operandi, and this edition, themed ‘25 Years of Culture Advocacy: What gains? What prospects?’, followed in its predecessors’ footsteps. There was a panel, consisting of panellists and a moderator. They steered the course of the discussions, and, the audience was also given room to vent their contributions as well as express whatever areas of the art sector they were disgruntled with. Hence, the term, stampede.
Moderating this panel, which comprised Tony Kan (author), Tunji Azeez (dramatist), Victor Nwokocha (dramatist), and Dr Reuben Abati (writer and journalist), was author Omolara Wood, who asked the panellists to air their perspectives of the relevance thus far of CORA to the art sector.
Speaking first was Nwokocha, who said that: “CORA provided a platform for people to show what they have, regardless of who they are. I think that they have achieved a lot in that regard because there are some persons who will always owe all their achievements in the Arts to CORA. CORA has also been a pain in the neck for those that have been afraid of the truth. Whenever CORA convenes an art stampede, some people really get stampeded because their works get reviewed.”
Also talking about CORA’s successes was Azeez, who said “One of CORA’s major accomplishments is that it has been able to bring together people from different backgrounds. Akinosho (CORA secretary general) and I used to talk a lot about different ideas that we had.”
He however urged CORA to establish a ‘CORA House’ where such people should gather and discuss about whatever ideas they had.
Expressing his view of CORA, Kan said: “CORA for me has been a gift that keeps on giving. When I was much younger, I heard, once when I was in Lagos on holidays, about an event for writers. That hot Sunday afternoon, without eating, I rushed to the venue and over the course of four hours, I saw everybody that was anybody in the Nigerian cultural landscape, even Reuben Abati. It was one of CORA’s art stampedes and there was no Facebook then. That platform made me meet many people who I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to meet. But CORA needs to be a bit more official and try to project into the future with business.
Meanwhile, Reuben Abati, jocularly ruing the dangers of being the last speaker, noted that: “The dangers of being the last speaker is that everything may have been said, but I am lucky that not all the issues have exhausted. First, let me thank God that I am back from sabbatical.” He made the latter statement in response to friendly banter that his previous appointment on board the Goodluck Jonathan administration had served him and his affairs well.
Recalling the earlier years of CORA, he commented that CORA provided opportunities for many of the young artistes then who eventually became popular musicians in Nigeria.
He also praised the courage of the CORA executives through the years. “I congratulate those who have been with CORA during their 25-year journey. When Tony Kan talked about giving, I concur that CORA has been giving back to the society and their example should be a source of inspiration to younger people.”
This also seemed to echo a previous statement by Jahman Anikulapo, a trustee of CORA’s board and prominent culture advocate, who earlier mentioned that: “One of the successes of this body, CORA, is that we have people who joined us when they were students, but they are now successful.”
Enthused about the 25th anniversary of CORA was Akinosho who noted that it was a nice thing for friends to get together again and reminisce about old long since. “It is also good to know what it is that they have not been saying,” he said.
Continuing, the culture advocate added: “I am a self-critic and I worry about whether what we are doing is sustainable, whether what we are doing will provide a good foundation for the future.”
Projects that have been spawned by CORA include; publishing the quarterly Lagos – The City Arts Guide; staging the monthly The Great Highlife Party; organising the yearly Lagos Book and Art Festival, among others.