NANTAP’s affiliations and collaborations with global cultural institutions like International Theatre Institute(IT), International Federation of Actors (FIA), Ford Foundation, McArthur Foundation, NACA and the EU/ECOWAS Creative Service Sector Trade Treaty has seen Nigeria hosting several regional and sub-regional sector workshops and conferences.

Tagged Eko 2024, the convention, held across multiple venues, including the National Theatre, Glover Memorial Hall, Freedom Park, and the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, was resurgence in the appreciation of theatre art practice.

It was themed, “Theatre, Politics and National Development.”

At this year’s convention, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) assured the theatre body of its readiness to work with it to strengthen performers’ rights protection under the Copyright Laws.

Director-General of NCC, Dr John Asein, who gave the keynote at the convention, said strengthening the performers’ rights protection was needed to address the challenges confronting different categories of performers in the digital age.

Recognising the role of theatre practitioners, their contributions to the rise of Nollywood and place in the creative ecosystem, however, noted that some categories of performers were not included in the most recent copyright protection law designed in 2022.

According to him, the commission was not aware of some exceptions and infringements then.
He said this is the reason NANTAP’s effort would be required to strengthen the performers’ rights protection.

“There are new areas that are maturing, and this calls for joint action. The commission will be happy to work with the executive of NANTAP through a technical committee.

“This is to strengthen performers’ rights protection, identify gaps in the value chain, and address them through administrative and legislative actions.

“The team will also look into developing strategies for copyright education and training for service providers as well as theatre arts departments in our schools.

“There is a need to address emerging trends and create legal frameworks to safeguard performers in the digital age, create a more constructive role for theatre practitioners within the copyright ecosystem.

“The team will also look at activating the provisions on the protection of expressions of folklore and work together to ensure the protection and growth of our creative industry,” he said.

He noted that with the rise of new digital platforms, collaborations, and globalised distribution, the intersection of intellectual property and performing arts would continue to evolve, presenting both opportunities and challenges for artistes.


https://guardian.ng/art/eko-2024-copyright-commission-seeks-nantaps-partnership-to-strengthen-performers-rights/