The National Theatre Nigeria, the country’s apex cultural institution, in collaboration with Theatre503 UK, a leading United Kingdom theatre company, is set to host an Advanced Scriptwriting Masterclass Series aimed at nurturing and refining the skills of emerging and mid-career Nigerian scriptwriters. The initiative is part of the National Theatre’s renewed commitment to capacity building in the creative sector, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s focus on youth empowerment, talent development, and economic diversification through the creative economy.
The training programme will run in three high-impact online classes starting from April 28-30, 2025, each focusing on critical areas of scriptwriting.
The areas include: Plot Development, which is aimed at coaching the participants on how to build stories with strong beginnings, middles, and endings that captivate audiences and Character Arcs for creating dynamic characters whose journeys shape the narrative.
Another area is Dialogue Crafting, which would coach the participants on how to write powerful conversations that reveal character, move the plot, and create tension.
However, each class will explore specialized forms of storytelling such as: writing from history, autobiography, and play adaptation (literature to stage).
Speaking on the training, Tola Akerele, general manager/CEO, National Theatre, emphasized the institution’s drive to support the Federal Government’s human capital development goals.
“This partnership is one of many steps we are taking to ensure Nigerian creativity is not only seen but heard on the global stage. We are investing in people, and that is the essence of true national development,” Akerele said.
Moreover, the participants, according to her, will be selected through a competitive application process and must already possess basic scriptwriting skills. The training is not entry-level, and only those seeking to hone their craft to professional standards are encouraged to apply.
Also, the initiative will showcase the National Theatre’s efficient and proactive approach to talent development, as well as its capacity to deliver world-class collaborations that will redefine the Nigerian storytelling landscape.
