By Cosmas Omegoh
This year’s edition of Lagos Archdiocesan Cultural and Drama Festival (LACDRAFEST) will kick off in the first week of May.
According to the organiser, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, the festival, which is the third in the series, will commence with regional competition while the grand finale would hold at the archdiocesan level in July. At the event, representatives or groups from various parishes will compete in four categories: cultural, dance, drama, contemporary singing and comedy.
Unveiling the festival at the Centre for Media Development, Ojota, Lagos recently, the archdiocese’s Director of Social Communication, Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu said this year’s edition themed: ‘With a Father’s Heart’ is in line with Pope Francis’ declaration of 2021 as the year of St. Joseph.
Godonu, who co-unveiled the programme with veteran actors including COC Nze and Ngozi Maduka noted that “the festival was conceived primarily as a means of promoting the use of drama and culture as a tool for evangelism among the youths and members of the Catholic Actors and Entertainers Association of Nigerian (CAEAN) from the various parishes in the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos.”
On his part, Nze said the programme, which is endorsed by the Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, “has lived up to its billings in discovering talented artistes and entertainers, some of who have become household names in Nollywood. Already, 50 parishes have participated actively in the festival as coordinated by Mr. Tony Agbugba.”
Meanwhile, to be part of the festival, participants are to download the Lagos Catholic network app on Google play store, and then pay a fee of N5, 000 per category into the Archdiocese of Lagos Directorate of Social Communication’s bank account. “There is no limit to the number of categories a parish can participate in,” Godonu stated.