BEYOND THE EMPTY SEATS: REIMAGINING THEATRE PATRONAGE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGIES IN CONTEMPORARY WEST AFRICAN PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The current situation on the live theatre practice in West Africa is defined by the dramatic transformations in cultural consumption, economic pressures, and lightning technological changes. Although the region has a rich performance history, audience attendance is on the decline and the administrative systems are weak, which is posing a risk to the live performance spaces. The current paper explores how theatre patronage can be reinvigorated in Nigeria and the West African region at large in an interrelated approach to the arts administration, audience development, cultural policy and digital adaptation. Using research on African performance studies and institutional frameworks as developed by organisations including UNESCO and the National Council on Arts and Culture (NCAC), the article is based on the argument that a sustainable theatre practice relies on the ability to coordinate leadership, work with communities and context-responsive communication practices. The paper presents a synthesis of the findings of cultural festivals like the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) and university-based events like the Akwa Ibom State University Festival of Performances (AKSUFEST) using a qualitative descriptive approach to provide an understanding of how administrative choices influence audience participation. The research concludes that theatre management in West Africa needs to balance cultural memory and modern outreach by enhancing the audience loyalty in the long term and improving the institutional capacity. This paper by suggesting an integrated and locally-based model of theatre management can be said to add to the current discussions on cultural sustainability in the context of African performance