How SPAN Is Taking Performing Arts Beyond Boundaries

By Yinka Olatunbosun 

Music surged through the hall as young dancers burst into movement, their energy transforming SPAN Space in Ikoyi into a stage of celebration. Laughter mingled with applause as the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) brought the latest edition of its six-month SPAN on the Road (SOTR) programme to a close with a graduation ceremony and dinner themed “Beyond Boundaries.”

Held on July 14 at SPAN Space, Bourdillon, Ikoyi, the event celebrated the successful completion of the dance training initiative organised by SPAN in partnership with the Ford Foundation. For more than two decades, SPAN has used the programme to discover and nurture talented children and young people from underserved communities, widening access to professional performing arts education.

The graduation showcase testified to the programme’s impact. Students, many of whom had little or no formal dance training before enrolling, confidently performed salsa, jazz, hip-hop, urban fusion and Nigerian street dance. The evening also featured performances by SPAN on the Road participants, scholarship beneficiaries and elite students of the SPAN Academy. A documentary highlighting SPAN’s work—including its outreach in Maiduguri—was screened, while the Ford Foundation received an award in recognition of its support.

For SPAN’s Chief Operating Officer, Remi Jemitola, the occasion was both a celebration of achievement and a tribute to the vision of SPAN founder Sarah Boulos, who was unable to attend the event.

“What Ford did for us made it possible for us to spread our tentacles to Maiduguri. We are also in Omojuwa Estate behind Mile 12 Market. We couldn’t have achieved this without our instructors, especially our Director of Dance, Osejindu Victor Chize, who oversees the technical aspects of the programme, and every member of the team,” she said.

Describing the evening as “a profound milestone in SPAN’s journey to democratise performing arts education across Nigeria,” Jemitola noted that what began as an ambitious idea has evolved into a transformative initiative for hundreds of young people.

Designed to break geographical barriers, SPAN on the Road takes structured performing arts education, mentorship and life-skills training directly to talented young people living in underserved and remote communities, creating opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach.

The Regional Director of the Ford Foundation Office of West Africa, Dr ChiChi Aniagolu, said the partnership reflects the Foundation’s commitment to expanding opportunities for young people and strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.

“Not everybody is going to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Nigeria’s music and film industry has made the country proud across the world, yet we still do not have organised funding to nurture the next generation of artists and filmmakers. When SPAN approached us, we realised this was a gap we needed to fill,” she said.

Aniagolu added that the Foundation was particularly encouraged by SPAN’s decision to work in underserved communities and conflict-affected areas.

“They decided to go into underserved communities, even conflict zones like Maiduguri. That is something we want to continue supporting as long as resources are available.” The evening’s most moving moments, however, came from the graduates themselves. Their stories revealed how the programme had transformed not only their artistic abilities but also their confidence.

One scholarship beneficiary summed up the experience simply: “SPAN gave me the confidence to express myself boldly and finally believe in my own abilities.”

Another participant, Precious Abang, described the programme as life-changing.

“SPAN found me. They have a unique way of teaching because they don’t focus on just one style. We learnt salsa, traditional dance, Latin dance, choreography and jazz. The tutors are patient and take time to teach every student,” she said.

The ceremony also drew a delegation from the Ford Foundation’s United States office, including Vice President and Chief People Officer Diane Headley, Chief Administrative Officer Tanisha Dyall, Director of Global Property Management Richard Sayers, Global Director of Financial Accounting and Reporting Lorna Lewis, and Associate Counsel in the Office of Legal Services Danielle Vildostegui, underscoring the Foundation’s continuing commitment to nurturing Nigeria’s next generation of performing artists.