Over 2,000 inmates at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently participated in a vibrant cultural and creative arts event aimed at rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The programme, spearheaded by the Liz Initiative in collaboration with PUT A SMILE, featured a display of traditional outfits, dance, drama, and other artistic expressions.
The initiative aimed to use the power of creative arts as a tool for fostering cultural awareness, emotional healing, and social development within the prison environment.
According to the Creative Director of the Liz Initiative, Elizabeth Charles-Dede, the event was designed as a social experiment to raise inmates’ cultural intelligence and self-expression, thereby preparing them for life after incarceration.
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“As advocates for societal change, we had to engage the interests of the inmates in raising their awareness to cultural intelligence, excellence, and diversity,” she said. “The aim was to use creative art to drive cultural diversity in a confined space where people with challenges and personal struggles, hoping to be reintegrated back into society, could connect and not lose sight of their creative abilities.”
The event, which witnessed a massive turnout of inmates, concluded with the distribution of food items and monetary rewards in recognition of their participation and cultural displays.
In a related programme, teenagers were also engaged in a creative arts contest that featured music, dance, painting, and colouring. The second edition of the event — the first having been held in 2021— showcased teens dancing as a form of emotional expression and healing, with top performers receiving cash prizes and art materials to further develop their talents.
Who is Elizabeth Charles-Dede?
Elizabeth Charles-Dede, a UK-based Nigerian creative and vocal artist, has continued to use her platform and skills to inspire social transformation through the arts.
A distinction graduate of Acting & Presentation from the Wale Adenuga Production academy and former backup singer with Nnena and Friends, she draws her inspiration from the belief that “art is life, and culture is dynamic.”
