Minna, Nigeria — 6th May 2025 — Witsprouts, a creative agency committed to reimagining storytelling in Africa, is pleased to formally unveil the 2025 Witsprouts Storytelling Prize, a groundbreaking platform aimed at reviving the age-old art of oral storytelling in contemporary performance. This year’s edition comes as a collaboration with the Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation (HCAF), one of the most celebrated literary development centres in Africa. Under the theme “Rebooting Legends and Memories”, the 2025 Prize invites artists, writers, performers, dramatists, and creatives of all forms to submit a 5–10 minute original video performance bringing new life to cultural legends, ancient wisdom, and collective memory. The submissions are expected to blend dramatic representation with storytelling craft; variations in voice, facial expressions, music, dance, and other literary techniques are invited.
“Not only is the Witsprouts Storytelling Prize a competition, it’s a cultural intervention,” added, Ibraheem Uthman, the HCAF Administrative Secretary. “In an age where oral cultures are disintegrating at pace under the weight of digital modernity, HCAF is proud to be a part of reaffirming the authority of voice, memory, and body to gather people together across time and space.”
The Call for Submissions is Now Open and Will Close on May 31st, 2025.
Entry Process:
- Participants must create an original 5–10-minute video based on the official theme.
- Upload the video to Instagram, tagging @witsprouts and @witsproutsorg as collaborators and including the hashtag #WitsproutsStorytellingPrize.
- Follow both Instagram accounts to ensure eligibility.
The panel of judges for the 2025 Prize features two of Nigeria’s foremost voices in performance and storytelling:
- Jude Idada — Award-winning writer, filmmaker, and winner of the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature.
- Akanbi Taofeek — Acclaimed playwright and stage director known for his deeply immersive theatrical works.
“Seeing HCAF joining forces with Witsprouts is a generational handshake,” said Haneefah Abdulrahman, Event Coordinator at Witsprouts. “A recognition that storytelling’s future rests in the harmony of tradition and innovation.”
Sponsorship and Collaboration Enquiries:
Organisations and individuals who wish to support or collaborate on this initiative can reach out via email at prize@witsprouts.org #WitsproutsStorytellingPrize
@witsprouts | @witsproutsorg
