CORA Marks 35 Years with Launch of Creative Industry Podcast Station
By Patience Bitrus
Nigeria’s foremost arts and culture advocacy organisation, the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), will commemorate its 35th anniversary with the launch of a dedicated podcast station aimed at deepening conversations around the nation’s creative and cultural industries.
The podcast platform, tentatively titled “Voices from the CORAVille,” is scheduled for formal unveiling on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the organisation’s secretariat located within the CORA Library and Resource Centre at Freedom Park, Lagos.
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The initiative represents CORA’s latest effort to expand its influence within Nigeria’s creative ecosystem through digital engagement, thought leadership, policy advocacy, and knowledge sharing.
According to the organisation, the podcast station will serve as a platform for insightful interviews, critical commentaries, and robust discussions on issues affecting literature, theatre, film, music, visual arts, cultural policy, and the broader creative economy.
The project was made possible through the support of Professor David Awam Amkpa, a long-time patron of CORA, who serves as Professor of Culture Aesthetics at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and Vice Provost of New York University Abu Dhabi.
CORA said the podcast is designed to catalyse transformational change within the creative sector by creating a permanent space for dialogue among artists, policymakers, academics, cultural practitioners, and industry stakeholders.
The maiden edition of the programme will feature CORA founder and Secretary-General, Toyin Akinosho, who is expected to take listeners through the organisation’s journey from its humble beginnings in 1991 to its emergence as one of Africa’s most influential cultural advocacy platforms.
The session will revisit CORA’s first public outing on June 2, 1991, including the pioneering Arts Stampede gatherings held in Akinosho’s residence in FESTAC Town, Lagos, and the evolution of the organisation into a major force in Nigeria’s cultural development.
Speaking ahead of the launch, CORA’s Programme Chair, Jahman Anikulapo, described the podcast unveiling and anniversary celebration as another landmark moment in the organisation’s history.
According to him, the initiative provides an opportunity to reflect on three and a half decades of advocacy, literacy campaigns, cultural programming, and contributions to the development of Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.
Founded on June 2, 1991, CORA has grown into one of Nigeria’s most respected cultural institutions, championing artistic expression, cultural policy development, literary advancement, and creative industry reforms. The organisation was formally registered as the CORA Art and Cultural Foundation in 2007 and received the prestigious Prince Claus Award for Culture and Development in 2006.
Over the years, CORA has played significant roles in national cultural initiatives, including advocacy surrounding the revitalisation of the National Theatre, reviews of Nigeria’s Cultural Policy, support for federal cultural institutions, and the launch of the Bring Back the Book campaign during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The organisation is also known for flagship programmes such as the quarterly CORA Art Stampede, the monthly CORA BookTrek, the CORA Artists’ Forum, and the annual Lagos Book & Art Festival, widely regarded as one of West Africa’s largest literary and cultural festivals.
With the launch of Voices from the CORAVille, CORA is seeking to extend its influence beyond physical events and publications into the rapidly growing digital media space, ensuring that conversations on culture, creativity, and national development continue to reach wider and younger audiences across Nigeria and beyond.