Theatre took on a deeper social role in Lagos on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, as the Terra Academy for the Arts, TAFTA, in partnership with Vision Spring Initiatives, VSI, staged the third showcase of Àjọṣe, a theatrical and radio drama initiative designed to open conversations around women’s health, healing and social responsibility.
The showcase, held at the Multipurpose Hall of Yaba College of Technology, brought together students, creatives and members of the wider community for an experience that combined performance with conversations around issues that can often be difficult to discuss openly.
Rather than presenting the subjects solely through conventional advocacy, Àjọṣe uses creative storytelling to make sensitive social issues more accessible to its audience.
The third presentation explored themes including healing, justice, compassion, wellbeing and collective responsibility, with particular attention to women’s reproductive health.
The production also sought to encourage audiences to reflect on how individual experiences connect with wider social responsibilities, using emotionally engaging performances and culturally familiar storytelling to make the conversations easier to understand and relate to.
The latest showcase followed the first and second presentations, which recorded strong audience responses and established the production as a platform for combining entertainment with social engagement.
According to the organisers, the continued audience participation demonstrates how theatre can help create spaces where people can reflect on sensitive subjects, ask questions and engage in conversations that may otherwise remain unspoken.
Speaking on the journey of the production, TAFTA founder, Bolanle Austen-Peters, said the response to the showcases had reinforced the value of storytelling in addressing difficult issues.
“The journey of Àjọṣe across these showcases has shown us once again how powerful storytelling can be when it connects directly with people’s lived experiences,” Austen-Peters said.
She added that theatre provided an opportunity to approach difficult conversations with empathy while creating room for learning, reflection and change.
TAFTA Academy Lead, JO Umoibom, also emphasised the importance of keeping the production relevant and accessible to young audiences.
“With every presentation of Àjọṣe, we have seen audiences connect differently with the issues being explored,” Umoibom said.
He explained that the focus had been to create a production that was artistically strong while remaining relevant, accessible and thought-provoking.
The response at the third showcase included moments of laughter, emotion and reflection, according to the organisers, reinforcing the role of culturally relevant storytelling in encouraging conversations around sensitive issues.
TAFTA and VSI have continued to oversee the creative development and implementation of the production, with the partnership combining theatre, film and radio as tools for education, advocacy and social transformation.
The initiative also reflects TAFTA’s broader commitment to creative excellence while demonstrating how collaboration between creative and social-impact organisations can use the arts to engage audiences beyond conventional awareness campaigns.
With three showcases now completed, attention has shifted to the planned grand finale, which will bring the series to a close.
TAFTA and VSI said details of the final showcase would be announced as preparations continue, with the finale expected to build on the momentum generated by the earlier presentations.
For the organisers, the Àjọṣe journey is not only about putting a production before an audience but also about creating opportunities for people, particularly young audiences, to encounter important conversations through a form that encourages empathy, reflection and participation.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
