Poetry, Drama & New Yam Festival To Drive Asaba’s 3rd Indigenous Art Celebration
THE Indigenous Art Festival Asaba is set to return for its third edition with a programme combining poetry, drama, visual art and indigenous cultural celebrations.
The festival will run from 25 to 27 September 2026, at the Indigenous Cultural Centre, Delta State Film Village, Anwai, Asaba.
Festival organiser Uba Washington announced details of the programme during a strategy meeting with members of the organising team on 1st September.
The meeting examined the proposed sequence of events, exhibitions, publicity plans and other preparations for the three-day festival.
Art as a Vehicle for Memory
The organisers have chosen ‘The Echoes of Silence’ as the theme for this year’s edition.
They are also dedicating the festival to victims of the October 1967 killings in Asaba during the Nigerian Civil War.
Washington said the festival would provide a platform for remembering those affected by the tragedy. He also stressed the importance of giving visibility to people and stories that have remained unheard.
Through poetry, drama and other creative forms, the organisers intend to explore the memory of past injustice and the need for redress.
A Platform for Poets
Poetry will occupy an important place in the festival.
A poetry competition will offer prizes to the top three participants. Organisers will also stage a poetry slam in memory of Evelyn D’Poet Osagie.
Osagie died on 17 August 2025. She participated in the first Indigenous Art Festival in 2024 and played a significant role in its inaugural edition.
The tribute is expected to connect the festival’s current programme with the creative community that helped establish it.
Climate Change Meets Theatre
Drama will provide another major creative component.
According to Washington, the festival will feature a drama presentation focused on climate change. The organisers also plan an art exhibition and other activities designed to engage participants.
Meanwhile, the New Yam Festival will add an indigenous cultural dimension to the programme.
Participants will roast and eat new yams with palm oil as they celebrate an aspect of Africa’s cultural heritage.
Schools & the Future of Indigenous Culture
The organisers are placing particular emphasis on young people.
Schoolchildren will participate in festival activities as part of an effort to expose them to indigenous culture from an early age.
Washington also called for stronger media publicity. He urged the festival’s media team to ensure that residents of Asaba, surrounding communities and the wider Delta State receive information about the programme.
The strategy reflects the organisers’ desire to expand the festival’s reach beyond its immediate audience.
Building on Earlier Editions
The third edition is expected to build on the experience of the first two festivals.
By bringing together historical memory, poetry, theatre, visual art and indigenous traditions, the organisers hope to create a broader cultural conversation around Asaba’s identity.
For Washington and the festival team, the event is therefore not only a celebration of creative expression. It is also an attempt to preserve cultural memory, encourage younger generations to value their heritage and keep difficult chapters of history within public consciousness.
