I am delighted to be part of the 33rd Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET)—a global gathering of theatre practitioners, scholars, directors, performers, and creative thinkers united by a shared passion for experimentation, innovation, and the future of theatre.
It was particularly fulfilling to contribute to the intellectual conversations at the festival through the presentation of my paper:
“From Petroviolence to Performance Aesthetics: Reimagining the Niger Delta in Film and Experimental Theatre.”
The presentation provided an opportunity to bring the Niger Delta experience into an international scholarly and artistic conversation, examining how our landscapes, environmental struggles, cultural memories, and lived realities can move beyond being mere subjects of representation to become active forces in performance.
At the heart of the paper is my proposition of Geo-theatrical Aesthetics—an analytical framework that explores how geography, environment, human embodiment, and performance interact to create artistic meaning.
Beyond presenting a paper, being at CIFET has been an enriching experience of learning, networking, cultural exchange, and encountering diverse approaches to experimental theatre from across the world.
There is something deeply rewarding about taking ideas rooted in our local realities and placing them in conversation with the world.
From the creeks of the Niger Delta to the stages and scholarly spaces of Cairo, the conversation continues.
We tell our stories. We interrogate our realities. We contribute our ideas to the world.
Yours Truely
Dr Ovunda Ihunwo. FTA
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