Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Nigeria has a strong pool of performers with the potential to establish careers in the global contemporary circus industry, but the country needs the right structures and opportunities to develop that talent, the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, Tola Akerele, has said.
Akerele made the remarks as the National Theatre prepares to host the inaugural Circus in Motion: The Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival, scheduled for October 3 and 4, 2026, at the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.
The festival is being positioned as part of a broader effort to develop contemporary circus as a professional performing-arts sector in Nigeria while connecting Nigerian artists with international practitioners and audiences.
According to The Guardian, Akerele said Nigeria already has performers with the potential to develop professionally in circus but requires structures that can help them sharpen their skills and gain access to wider opportunities.
She also clarified that contemporary circus differs from the traditional image of circus entertainment involving animals.
“For contemporary circus, it’s not about animals. It’s more about acrobatics, movement and dance,” The Guardian reported her as saying.
National Theatre targets global stage
The festival, themed “Reimagining Nigerian Performance for the Global Stage,” is designed to bring together Nigerian performance traditions and contemporary circus techniques.
The National Theatre says the programme will draw from elements including Nigerian and West African acrobatics, folklore, music, movement and storytelling while introducing performers to modern circus practices.
The approach is intended to give Nigerian artists a platform through which local cultural expressions can be developed into contemporary performances capable of reaching audiences beyond the country.
The National Theatre’s official website currently lists the Contemporary Circus Festival among its scheduled programmes, reflecting the institution’s growing emphasis on live performance and creative-industry development.
The festival comes as the National Theatre continues to position itself as a major centre for artistic expression and cultural development in Nigeria. The institution describes its role as supporting creative excellence and serving as a hub for artistic activities in the country.
Young performers at the centre of initiative
A major component of Circus in Motion is a training residency for young Nigerian performers.
Punch reported that the programme includes a two-week intensive residency involving international circus companies and practitioners from Ethiopia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Switzerland.
Participants include Fekat Circus of Ethiopia, SenCirk of Senegal, Ivoire Cirque Décalé of Côte d’Ivoire and Swiss circus artist Jessica Arpin.
The international participation is intended to expose Nigerian performers to different approaches to acrobatics, theatre, movement and stagecraft.
The programme has also been developed with diplomatic and cultural partners, including the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Embassy of Switzerland through Pro Helvetia, according to Punch.
The organisers say the training could help young performers develop skills that can translate into longer-term opportunities within Nigeria’s expanding creative economy.
Beyond entertainment
The initiative is not limited to stage performances.
According to reports on the festival, Circus in Motion will include youth engagement and community outreach activities designed to introduce young Nigerians to contemporary circus and related professional pathways.
Those opportunities can extend beyond performers themselves to areas such as directing, technical stage production and other behind-the-scenes roles.
The National Theatre and its partners are also seeking additional corporate sponsors and institutional partners to support the continued development and expansion of the festival.
The organisers see the initiative as an attempt to establish a sustainable ecosystem around contemporary circus rather than treating the festival as a one-off cultural event.
That distinction is significant because building a functioning creative industry requires more than performances. It also requires training, production infrastructure, professional networks, audiences, funding and opportunities for artists to work consistently.
Nigeria’s cultural traditions as a foundation
Nigeria’s existing traditions of movement, dance, storytelling and physical performance provide a potential foundation for developing a distinctive contemporary circus identity.
Rather than simply reproducing circus models developed elsewhere, the Lagos initiative is designed to combine international contemporary circus practices with Nigerian cultural material.
The Guardian reported that Akerele’s interest in the project developed after she encountered contemporary circus practices internationally and subsequently connected with practitioners working across Africa.
This approach could allow Nigerian performers to use familiar cultural forms in new ways while gaining exposure to international performance standards.
For audiences, it also presents an opportunity to see Nigerian stories and movement traditions interpreted through a contemporary performing-arts format.
A developing creative-industry opportunity
Nigeria’s creative economy already includes internationally recognised sectors such as music, film, fashion and digital entertainment.
The development of contemporary circus would add another specialised area to that wider creative ecosystem.
For young performers, the sector could potentially create opportunities in performance, choreography, directing, stage management, technical production and other creative occupations.
However, the development of a sustainable industry will depend on whether training programmes and festivals can be supported by continued investment, professional opportunities and audiences.
The National Theatre’s initiative therefore goes beyond the immediate October festival. Its longer-term significance will depend on whether the partnerships, training and networks created through Circus in Motion can continue after the inaugural event.
Festival opens October 3
Circus in Motion is scheduled to take place at the National Theatre in Lagos from October 3 to 4, 2026.
The festival’s programme will bring Nigerian and international performers together while showcasing contemporary circus alongside elements of African performance traditions.
The National Theatre has continued to expand its programme of cultural and creative events following the renovation and reopening of its facilities. Its official history records that the institution underwent major renovation work between 2020 and 2025 and was formally commissioned and rededicated in October 2025.
Akerele has served as General Manager and CEO of the National Theatre since January 2024, according to the institution’s official history.
With Circus in Motion, the National Theatre is seeking to create another pathway for Nigerian artists to develop their skills, engage with international practitioners and present African performance traditions to wider audiences.
The initiative places Nigeria’s existing artistic talent at the centre of an emerging contemporary circus movement while testing whether the country can build a sustainable industry around the discipline.
Why it matters
The push into contemporary circus reflects a broader effort to diversify Nigeria’s creative economy and create professional opportunities for young artists.
If sustained beyond the inaugural festival, the initiative could provide a platform for Nigerian performers to develop specialised skills, collaborate internationally and take locally rooted productions to audiences outside Nigeria.
For the country’s creative sector, the immediate focus will be on the quality of the festival and training programme. The longer-term question will be whether those activities can develop into a durable professional ecosystem capable of supporting performers, technical workers, directors and other creative practitioners.
For now, the National Theatre is using Circus in Motion to demonstrate that Nigeria’s performance traditions can be adapted to contemporary forms while maintaining their cultural identity.
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