By Eva Irewole
The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), in partnership with Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI), has staged the third showcase of Àjọṣe, a compelling theatrical production and radio drama initiative that uses creative storytelling to drive conversations around women’s health, social responsibility and healing.
The latest showcase, held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the Multipurpose Hall of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, brought together students, creatives and members of the wider community for an engaging theatre experience that combined entertainment with important social discourse.
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Building on the success of its earlier presentations, the third outing further demonstrated the power of theatre to simplify complex and often sensitive issues, making them more relatable and accessible to audiences.
Through emotionally resonant performances and culturally grounded storytelling, Àjọṣe explored themes of healing, justice, compassion, wellbeing and collective responsibility, with particular attention to women’s reproductive health.
With each showcase, the production has continued to create safe spaces for audiences to reflect, engage and openly discuss topics that are often considered difficult or sensitive.
In a statement made available to TCN, organisers noted that the third presentation reinforced the growing impact of Àjọṣe, highlighting how creative expression can support education and inspire meaningful behavioural change.
TAFTA, working in collaboration with VSI, led the creative development and implementation of the production, ensuring the storytelling remained engaging, accessible and relevant to young audiences, while maintaining a high standard of artistic excellence.
Speaking on the continued success of the initiative, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Founder of TAFTA, said:
“The journey of Àjọṣe across these showcases has shown us once again how powerful storytelling can be when it connects directly with people’s lived experiences.
Theatre gives us an opportunity to approach difficult conversations with empathy while creating room for learning, reflection and change.
Seeing audiences continue to engage so strongly with the production reinforces why platforms like this are important.”
Mr JO Umoibom, Academy Lead at TAFTA, also emphasised the importance of maintaining a youth-centred approach:
“With every presentation of Àjọṣe, we have seen audiences connect differently with the issues being explored.
Our focus has been to create an experience that is not only artistically strong but also relevant, accessible and thought-provoking.
The response to the third showcase demonstrates that young people are willing to engage with important social issues when conversations are presented in ways they can understand and relate to.”
The performance recorded strong audience engagement, with moments of laughter, emotion and reflection throughout.
The response underscored the effectiveness of culturally relevant storytelling in addressing sensitive issues while fostering a safe environment for dialogue.
Following the success of the first, second and third showcases, anticipation is building towards the grand finale of Àjọṣe, which organisers say will provide another opportunity for audiences to experience the production and engage with its core messages.
TAFTA and VSI have encouraged theatre lovers, young people, creatives and the general public to look out for details of the grand finale, which is expected to build on the momentum of previous showcases and deliver a fitting conclusion to the Àjọṣe journey.
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Àjọṣe continues to reinforce TAFTA’s commitment to advancing creative excellence, while its partnership with VSI highlights the value of collaboration in using theatre, film and radio as powerful platforms for education, advocacy and social transformation.
