For three days, the National Theatre became a playground for aerialists, acrobats, unicyclists and performers from Nigeria and beyond as the inaugural Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival introduced the city to a different kind of live spectacle—Yinka Olatunbosun and Mariam Bakare report.
For three days, gravity appeared to become optional at the National Theatre in Iganmu.
Performers flew through the air, balanced on wires, formed human pyramids and turned bicycles, hoops and even the theatre’s outdoor spaces into part of the show. It was the inaugural Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival (LCCF), a three-day celebration of contemporary circus that brought Nigerian and international artists together for an ambitious mix of acrobatics, physical theatre, dance and storytelling.
One of the festival’s standout performances came from Brazilian-born circus artist Jessica Arpin, whose show combined acrobatic cycling, clowning and theatre. Armed with a neon-coloured bicycle, she drew the audience into a playful romantic story about a woman caught between two love interests, even weaving Yoruba into the performance for comic effect.
Arpin, who grew up between New Orleans and Geneva and trained at the National Circus School of Montreal, demonstrated exactly what contemporary circus can be: technically impressive, theatrical and capable of telling a story without losing its sense of fun.
That combination was central to the festival’s theme, Circus in Motion.
The spectacle was not confined to a conventional stage either. The opening performance transformed the exterior of the National Theatre into part of the production, with aerialists suspended from rigging moving across the building’s curves while acrobats performed tumbling routines and human pyramids below.
For a festival interested in both the future and history of physical performance, the National Theatre was a fitting home.
Built for FESTAC ’77, the venue carries its own place in Nigeria’s cultural history. Its Managing Director and CEO, Tola Akerele, believes circus itself is not as foreign to Nigerian culture as many might assume.
“Nigeria already has a strong culture of acrobatics and physical performance,” she said, explaining that her own exposure to contemporary circus helped inspire the idea of creating a dedicated festival in Lagos.
The National Theatre developed the festival with Dereje Dange, co-founder and Artistic Director of Ethiopia’s Fekat Circus, and Samuel Udoh, founder and Artistic Director of Wow Factorz Initiative for Artistic and Creative Development.
Beyond entertaining audiences, the festival was also designed to develop the artists themselves.
Young performers took part in practical workshops led by experienced international acrobats, learning hand-balancing, slacklining, aerial hoop techniques and safe rigging. For Dange, that exchange is essential if Nigerian circus performers are to strengthen their skills and build sustainable careers.
Udoh similarly argued that more dedicated facilities are needed in Lagos and elsewhere for performers to train and develop their craft.
That question of opportunity extended beyond the stage. Chantal Djedje, founder of La Fabrique Culturelle, pointed to the role circus programmes already play in countries including Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, where training can provide young people with both structure and a potential career.
“It’s a very good opportunity for those kids who usually don’t go to school anymore, and suddenly they can pick up a career,” she said.
The international nature of the festival was evident throughout, with artists from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Switzerland participating. EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, described the performances as “international, colourful, full of energy and very modern, very contemporary,” while calling for continued investment in culture and the arts. The festival received EU sponsorship with support from Maltina.
Away from the headline performances, the grounds maintained the energy of a street festival. Unicyclists, brass bands and tumbling troupes moved through the walkways, while food vendors, craft stalls and interactive music stations gave audiences plenty to explore between performances.
For a first edition, LCCF attempted quite a lot: spectacle, training, international exchange and an argument for taking circus more seriously within Nigeria’s performing arts landscape.
But perhaps its strongest case was made without saying very much at all.
Watching bodies fly above the National Theatre, cyclists turn their wheels into theatre, and young performers learn skills they could one day take to stages around the world, circus suddenly did not seem like an unusual addition to Lagos’ cultural calendar.
It looked rather at home.
