James Ene Henshaw Foundation Deepens Commitment to Emerging Playwrights & Theatre Development

A Foundation Inspired by a Writer Who Created for Pleasure

THE James Ene Henshaw Foundation (JEHF) continues to strengthen its commitment to Nigerian theatre through playwriting mentorship, youth development and support for emerging creative talents.

The foundation emerged from a personal reflection on the literary legacy of James Ene Henshaw, a medical doctor who wrote primarily for pleasure rather than pursuing writing as a profession.

According to the foundation’s account, its founding vision rested on two important questions about how to make drama accessible to people outside the professional arts community and how to encourage individuals with stories to tell to express themselves through theatre.

That philosophy shaped its central objectives: to discover and nurture young playwrights while supporting creative projects developed by young people.

Mentorship at the Heart of the Playwriting Competition

Since 2016, the foundation has organised the JEHF Playwriting Competition for emerging playwrights aged between 18 and 35.

Unlike competitions that focus exclusively on selecting completed manuscripts, the programme places considerable emphasis on mentorship and creative development.

Participants initially submit ideas for proposed plays. From these entries, the foundation selects five or six promising projects and assigns them to established writers for six months of intensive guidance and script development.

At the end of the mentoring period, the foundation selects the best-written play as the competition winner.

The first edition, held in 2016, focused exclusively on Cross River State. Its completed plays were subsequently presented during a week-long celebration of new writing.

Building on that experience, later editions expanded nationwide, attracting submissions from Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Jos and other locations.

However, the wider geographical reach also created production challenges. Although the foundation continued to receive promising scripts, it has yet to stage all the plays developed through the expanded editions.

Nevertheless, its commitment to the writers has continued. From the 2016 cohort, the foundation also published a collection of plays by one of the participating playwrights.

Sustaining Writers Beyond the Competition

For JEHF, the relationship with emerging writers does not end when a competition concludes.

The foundation says it continues to work with playwrights from previous editions through script revisions, mentoring sessions and play readings.

One notable example is Eagles with Wings, scheduled for a Christmas-season performance in December. The play was written by a participant from the 2016 cohort who, according to the foundation’s account, had never written a script before joining the programme.

His personal background also illustrates the kind of creative voices the foundation seeks to encourage. Having experienced life in the difficult and volatile streets of Calabar South, he brought stories and perspectives that might otherwise have remained outside the theatre space.

Consequently, the foundation maintains a policy of not abandoning writers whose projects show promise. It hopes that, with adequate funding, many of the notable plays in its archive will eventually reach the stage.

However, financial constraints remain a major obstacle. Continued mentoring, production costs and other forms of support require resources that the foundation has struggled to secure.

Even so, JEHF has reaffirmed its commitment to playwrights who participated in its programmes between 2016 and 2022, urging them to remain patient as it works towards creating further opportunities.

Creating Opportunities Beyond Playwriting

The foundation’s contribution extends beyond writers and their manuscripts.

Through its activities, JEHF has also created opportunities for emerging directors, theatre technicians and other artisans to participate in productions that might otherwise have been beyond their reach.

Its 64-seat theatre at the foundation’s premises has provided a performance space for independent creative projects.

That facility has therefore served as more than a venue for the foundation’s own activities. It has also offered other artists an opportunity to develop and present their work within an artistic environment where resources and production opportunities remain limited.

Although the organisation has experienced difficult periods, its leadership says the outlook has improved, with further developments expected to be announced.

Taking Theatre Education into Secondary Schools

In another effort to build the next generation of dramatists, the foundation has revived its playwriting competition in a new format.

This edition targets secondary school students and challenges them to create modern-day adaptations of This Is Our Chance, the well-known play by James Ene Henshaw.

The participating students have completed their scripts and are currently rehearsing their productions.

Through this approach, the foundation hopes to introduce young people to dramatic writing and performance at an early age. Moreover, the initiative could help them develop an enduring interest in theatre and creative expression.

The Calabar Secondary Schools Playwriting Competition will culminate in a performance and awards ceremony on 26 November 2026 at Hope Waddell Assembly Hall.

The foundation has invited members of the public, particularly residents and visitors in Calabar, to attend and support the young dramatists.

Preserving a Legacy Through New Creative Voices

The James Ene Henshaw Foundation’s work reflects a broader understanding of literary development. Discovering new writers is important, but providing the guidance, resources and opportunities required to develop their work is equally essential.

Its experience since 2016 demonstrates both the possibilities and limitations of sustained creative mentorship. While the foundation has helped emerging playwrights develop scripts and created opportunities for other theatre practitioners, funding constraints have continued to limit the number of productions it can stage.

Nevertheless, its renewed secondary-school initiative signals an effort to widen participation and introduce theatre to a younger generation.

Ultimately, the foundation’s vision reaches beyond preserving the memory of James Ene Henshaw. It seeks to keep his literary spirit alive by making room for new voices, fresh stories and future generations of Nigerian dramatists.