Borntroway Bariga DAY ONE:
The selected participants showed up for the first day of the Borntroway creative workshop at Ade Ife Memorial Primary school in Bariga, Ifelodun in the heart of Bariga. The day started with the participants cleaning the classrooms and school compound before being introduced to instructors who will be working with them over the next 5 days by the project Director Ade Bantu who told them that the ultimate aim of the project was to help them tell their own stories.
This edition of Borntroway welcomes a new addition to the family, Omolola Oluwakayode and he will teaching the acting classes.
Segun Adefila, the project’s dance instructor led the workout exercises, the participants were split into groups and classes began immediately. The participants where rotated at intervals with each group taking turns to dance, act and learning the rudiments of music and poetry. The neighborhood was not left out of the excitement as curious youths managed catch glimpses of the participants in training with some children getting in on the fun.
The participants were asked the question of the day; “what does Bariga mean to you?” and their responses leaned heavily on youth restiveness and anti-social vices “Bariga is a rough community, a place for the brave but can be very interesting if you stay focused says Shoneye Maria. Aregbesola Habibat said “Bariga is a place full of interesting activities, where the youths are pregnant with vision but their talents are very much underrated”. However, some like the inspired Joshua Garba remain hopeful,“ Bariga is a local town in a big city that has life in it…but to me, it’s a wonderful world because in spite of the bad, good can come out of it”
At the end of the day, the participant presented dance movements and drama skits developed earlier in the day.