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The Igbo people are found mainly in the east
of Nigeria as well as on the coast on the western side of the
Niger River. They are very culturally active people, although
they are not exempt from the cultural decadence that has been
the bane of Africa in the postindepenence era. Like most African
and Nigerian peoples, the Igbo have a strong masking tradition
which was part of their traditional theatre. Mmanwu is the Igbo
word for masquerade. In pre-contact times, Mmanwu was part of
the Igbo cosmology and formed part of the mechanism for social
control and traditional governance. Beyond this, Mmanwu provided
a means to entertainment and the enactment of the centralising
myth of society, and thereby was a sustainer of social
equilibrium
But political colonisation and the neocolonising, postmodern
Pentecostalist movement have dealt a coup de grace on the extant
traditions and uprooted the very soul of the Igbo cosmology.
Consequently, the Mmanwu theatre has become as fetish as any
other traditional art form in these parts. This has taken a
great toll on the Igbo personality and identity. In spite of the
acclaimed merits of acculturation and globalisation, it is
certain that a people without identity are a mere geographical
expression.
Aim
We recognise that neocolonisation is a dialectical experience
which presupposes a desire to colonise and a willingness to be
colonised. The death of the Mmanwu theatre is not only as result
of Westernisation, but also is a glaring indication of the
weakness and lack of faith of the colonised culture in its own
efficacy. In other words, neocolonisation thrives on the
marriage of superior and inferior complexes to the detriment of
the seemingly inferior entity.
The aim of the proposed symposium and mini-carnival, therefore,
is to re-interrogate the demise of the Igbo Mmanwu theatre and
to explore ways of reviving and realigning it with contemporary
realities, with a view to transforming it into a tool for
socio-economic advancement, not only among the Igbo but also
across Nigeria.
Project Plan
The colloquium and mini-carnival will last one day only. The
event has two components. The first is the mini-carnival which
will be held in the morning for about three hours. It will
feature various displays and performances by selected
masquerades from different parts of Igbo land and beyond.
Traditional dances and songs associated with masking societies
in Igbo land may also be performed. A total of about 10
masquerades and dancing groups will be invited (this is a
relatively small number, compared to what obtained with Mmanwu
carnivals/festivals previously organised by Anambra and Enugu
States governments before apathy and superlative nescience
enveloped the general psyche of our people). The performances
will set the stage for the colloquium and attendant discussions.
The colloquium will involve scholars of culture (including
artists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers, etc),
religious leaders, cultural policy makers, and political
administrators who will be invited as resource persons and
speakers. The aim will be to analyse and problematise the
fossilisation of the Mmanwu theatre and to examine ways in which
it could possibly be re-invented as a means to social
development and economic empowerment in modern society.
The mini-carnival and proceedings of the symposium will be
published in a small report for wider circulation among the
relevant quarters and agencies in Nigeria and beyond as apart of
the campaign to save this aspect of the cultural heritage in
Nigeria from dangerous extinction.
Subthemes for the Symposium
-
The Role and Significance of Mmanwu in
(Igbo) Society
-
Mmanwu as a Pan-Cultural Experience:
Masking Beyond the Igbo Paradigm
-
Religion, Spirituality and the Mmanwu
Theatre
-
Mmanwu and Postmodern Culture:
Demonising Mmanwu in Contemporary Nigeria (the implications)
-
Mmanwu: Prospects for Social and
Economic Advancement
It is expected that resource persons and
other participants will draw from the above subthemes in shaping
their contributions. Participants from Japan and elsewhere will
be expected the relate topics to similar situations in their
home countries.
Venue
The event will be held at the auditorium of the National Museum,
Enugu.
Date
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Co-Chairs
Prof Chike C. Aniakor, Art Historian (Classical African Art)
Professor Kenji Yoshida, Director of Research, National Museum
of Ethnology, Japan
Discussants
Dr. Peter Ezeh, Anthropologist and Journalist
Gérard Chouin, Anthropologist; Director, Alliance Francaise,
Enugu
Moderators
Sculptor Okay Ikenegbu, Director, Industrial Centre, IMT, Enugu
Sculptor Chris Afuba, Department of Art Education, IMT, Enugu
Host
Dr. Abu Edet, Director, National Museum, Enugu |
