Street Project Foundation Seeks Nominees for Wole Oguntokun Legacy Award

The Street Project Foundation (SPF) has opened nominations for the Wole Oguntokun Legacy Award, an initiative designed to recognize young Nigerians who leverage theatre, storytelling, and the arts to drive change, preserve culture, and advocate for social justice.

This award is open to Nigerian residents between the ages of 18 and 35, working across four distinct categories: theatre practitioners, storytellers, arts and creative advocates, and performing artists. Interested individuals can nominate a deserving creative or apply directly through the festival's website or by scanning a QR code available on SPF's official social media channels.

The award honors the legacy of Wole Oguntokun, a prominent Nigerian playwright, director, and lawyer, also known as "Laspapi," who passed away in March 2024. For over two decades, Oguntokun significantly contributed to the Nigerian theatre scene, serving as artistic director for Renegade Theatre and Theatre Planet Studios. He also founded Theatre Republic, a Lagos-based performing arts hub that provided essential rehearsal and production spaces for a new generation of artists.

Oguntokun's commitment to using the stage for social commentary was evident in his work, including leading Renegade Theatre to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013, a first for a Nigerian company. The Wole Oguntokun Legacy Award aims to carry forward this spirit by celebrating young Nigerian creatives who transform art into tangible impact. The initiative builds upon the success of the Do What U Love Festival's creative recognition program, which previously awarded a N500,000 cash prize to Ayodeji Ajadi.

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The award carries the name and legacy of Wole Oguntokun, the Nigerian playwright, director and lawyer fondly known as “Laspapi,” who died in March 2024. Over more than two decades, Oguntokun served as artistic director of Renegade Theatre and Theatre Planet Studios, and founded Theatre Republic, a Lagos performing arts hub that gave rehearsal and production space to a generation of theatre-makers, dancers and musicians. He led Renegade Theatre to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013, the first Nigerian company to present work at the festival, and used the stage throughout his career to confront difficult social subjects, from the trial behind The Emancipation of Yankee Oluwale to The Chibok Girls: Our Story. The Wole Oguntokun Legacy Award carries that spirit forward, recognising young Nigerian creatives turning art into impact. The award builds on the momentum of Do What U Love Festival’s creative recognition programme, which in its most recent edition awarded a N500,000 cash prize to winner Ayodeji Ajadi.