Nigerian-American theatre director, playwright, and activist
Ifeoma Fafunwa
(
Pronunciation
ⓘ
) is a theatre director, playwright, artist, and activist, living and working in Lagos, Nigeria.
[1]
[2]
Her creative activism targets inequality and the empowerment of women, youth and girls.
[3]
She is the founder and creative director of iOpenEye Africa Foundation; a Nigerian non-profit organization, focused on using performance art to drive social change.
[4]
Her play,
HEAR WORD!
,
[5]
which she directed and co-wrote, has been seen by over 120,000 live audience members across the world. She was listed as one of the "12 Artists who changed the world in 2019."
[6]
Ifeoma’s activist work is featured in the award-winning documentary film titled
MrsF (on Al Jazeera).
[7]
Biography
[
edit
]
Ifeoma was born in
Lagos, Nigeria
to Carol Obianwu, a physics teacher who was the vice principal of
St. Gregory’s College
, and
Walter Obianwu
, an internationally competitive tennis player. She attended St. Mary’s Primary School, Lagos, and Holy Child College, Obalende. At 17 she moved to the US for university. After graduation she worked for several years as an interior architecture designer in Atlanta and as a Creative Director at an advertising agency in Denver. Colorado. She then moved to Los Angeles to be closer to Film, Theatre, and Television.
[5]
She has a Bachelor's degree from the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
(1987) and she took courses at the
Dorsey Studios for the Performing Arts
and
The University of Southern California
.
[3]
She is also a fellow of
Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute
[8]
and the
Aspen Institute
,
[4]
as well as a director’s fellow of the
MIT Media lab
.
[9]
In 2001, Ifeoma married Tani Fafunwa the son of
Aliyu Babatunde Fafunwa
, and in 2003 she returned to Nigeria where she currently lives and works. Ifeoma and Tani have four children.
[10]
[11]
Art and work
[
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]
Ifeoma describes herself as a social-impact theatre maker, artist and activist. She writes, directs, and produces socially transformative plays. She also facilitates pro-bono acting and storytelling workshops. She serves as Chief Creative Officer at iOpenEye Africa Foundation.
Her most notable play
HEAR WORD!
is a collection of
monologues
based on true-life stories of the struggles for equality of Nigerian women. It debuted in 2004 and has been described by the
Boston Globe
as "a call for female solidarity and empowerment".
[12]
Ben Brantley of the
New York Times
wrote that "the brightness radiating from its all-female cast has the glare and heat of a raging bonfire."
[13]
Sahara Reporters pronounces it as "deeply entertaining as it is profoundly philosophical."
[14]
HEAR WORD!
was performed in English, Nigerian English, Pidgin
[15]
and local languages. It was the first Nigerian play to stage at the
American Repertory Theatre
and it was the first Nigerian play to be curated by the
Edinburgh International Festival
team.
Some of Ifeoma Fafunwa’s earlier directing, producing, and writing work includes
Eggs & Fleas
by Blue Sphere Alliance,
Sefi Atta
’s plays,
Bigger & Better
and
The Engagement,
Digging for Gold
produced by Lufodo,
100 Million Vagabonds,
and
Love & Recession
. She also directed one of Nigeria’s cultural submissions for the London 2012 Olympics, and her work has been featured at the Lagos Theater Festival, the Tate Modern and London’s International Festival of Theatre (LIFT)
iOpenEye Africa Foundation
[
edit
]
In 2014, Ifeoma founded iOpenEye, a Nigerian Production Company that produces socially impactful theater, provides pro bono acting training and facilitates open dialogue events.
[16]
[17]
To focus the organization’s impact work, iOpenEye Africa Foundation opened in 2019.
Awards and recognition
[
edit
]
- 2023 - Cultures of Resistance Honoree
[18]
- 2020 - McNulty Foundation Catalyst Prize
[19]
- 2019 - 12 Artists Who Changed the World
[20]
- 2019 - MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow
[9]
- 2018 - Access Bank -100 Most Influential Women in Nigeria
- 2017 - Harvard University’s Radcliffe Fellow
[8]
- 2014 - Aspen Institute Global Leadership Fellow
[4]
- 2013 - Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa Fellow
[21]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Person Overview ? Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
MIT Media Lab
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
"Meet Nigerian writer, director, and producer Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
africa.harvard.edu
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
a
b
Ajumobi, Kemi (2019-12-27).
"Women in Business: Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
Businessday NG
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Ifeoma Fafunwa - User Profile"
.
AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
a
b
Williams, Holly (2019-08-10).
"Playwright Ifeoma Fafunwa: 'It was permission, all of a sudden, to speak'
"
.
The Observer
.
ISSN
0029-7712
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
"BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline - 12 artists who changed the world in 2019"
.
BBC
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
"Mrs F: Nigeria's Women Walk on Water"
.
www.aljazeera.com
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
a
b
"Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
a
b
"Person Overview ? Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
MIT Media Lab
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
ThePointNG (2017-12-26).
"My decision to get married late was deliberate - Ifeoma Fafunwa"
.
The Point
. Retrieved
2023-10-18
.
- ^
"
"I believe it is my responsibility to contribute to the betterment of society instead of complaining." Leading Ladies Africa speaks to Ifeoma Fafunwa. ? Leading Ladies Africa"
. Retrieved
2023-10-18
.
- ^
Hartigan, Patti (January 24, 2018).
"Onstage, Nigerian women speak a truth that sets them free"
.
The Boston Globe
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
Brantley, Ben; Green, Jesse (January 7, 2019).
"Hate, Hope and Healing at Under the Radar"
.
The New York Times
.
Archived
from the original on January 8, 2019.
- ^
Wariboko, Nimi (February 14, 2018).
"Ifeoma Fafunwa's Hear Word And Levels of Adultery In Nigeria"
.
Sahara Reporters
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
Falade, Tomi (March 23, 2019).
"Ifeoma Fafunwa's Hear Word! 10 Women, One Director"
.
Independent Newspaper Nigeria
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
"iOpenEye: Theater and #MeToo in Nigeria - Case - Faculty & Research - Harvard Business School"
.
www.hbs.edu
. Retrieved
2023-10-18
.
- ^
"iOpenEye Theater And #Me Too In Nigeria Case Study Solution Analysis"
.
calameo.com
. Retrieved
2023-10-18
.
- ^
"Creative Activism Awards - Cultures of Resistance Films"
. 2020-07-27
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
Foundation, McNulty (2023-10-23).
"Announcing the 2020 recipients of the McNulty…"
.
McNulty Foundation
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.
- ^
"BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline - 12 artists who changed the world in 2019"
.
BBC
. Retrieved
2023-10-11
.
- ^
"We are very proud of our Fellow @ifeomafafunwa and the work she's doing to create positive social change through performing arts. #Repost... | By ALI West Africa | Facebook"
.
www.facebook.com
. Retrieved
2023-10-23
.