The inaugural launch of the new Terrakulture arena, an ultra-modern 400-seater theatre in Lagos, was by all means not an occasion for flowery speeches
The inaugural launch of the new Terrakulture arena, an ultra-modern 400-seater theatre in Lagos, was by all means not an occasion for flowery speeches. But, the short address by the founder of Terrakulture and Chief Executive Officer of BAP Productions, Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters, among a few others truly captured the essence of the event.
Attributing the success of the BAP Productions to its youthful staff, most of who are graduates of Nigerian universities, she said, “I have been fortunate to work with excellent and brilliant young people who are committed to what they do. They don’t want to be doctors, lawyers or engineers. They only want to perform, sing and dance.
“I have an incredible set of musicians, too. When we started, we couldn’t put our music together. Now we write the song for our musicals. We also have sound and lighting technicians who have all developed from here. So, many people on our stable who have been with us for less than seven years are doing great things.
My people work very hard. We have all been together for 15 years. I have a team of 60 people in various art institutions across Nigeria. So, imagine, if we had 100 branches of Terrakulture in the country, the number of people we would recruit as staff. For every play produced by BAP Productions that you see, not less than 100 jobs are created. We are taking the youths off the streets and adding value to life.
Also, in his speech at the gathering, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, represented by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, congratulated Austen-Peters for her commitment to the preservation, promotion and development of the arts and culture in Nigeria. Ambode noted that by building the Terrakulture Arena, Austen-Peters had effectively keyed into the vision of his administration to harness the great potential in the arts and to make Lagos State the hub of entertainment in Nigeria.
The governor hoped that the arena would in the long term serve as a rallying point for people of diverse backgrounds who would be opportune to enjoy the richness of the cultural heritage of the country.
