From Gyang Bere, Jos

Following the effort to strengthen peaceful co-existence in Plateau State, a group under the umbrella of Tapshak Entertainment has concluded plan to stage Christmas Village in Jos to foster peace and unity among the people.

Founder of Tapshak Entertainment, Dorcas Bentu in an interview with Journalists in Jos said Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong would declare the event open which will commenced on the 23 to 27 December 2020 at Crest Hotel Jos, Plateau State.

“The event will serve as a tool to foster peace and unity in Plateau State and Nigeria. Alot of negative campaign that is going on, sometime I cannot feel it is deliberate. When you hear the story of Plateau told outside the state, you will think when you drive in, everywhere is burnt houses.

“It’s obvious that we have gone through trial as far as crises are concerned but you know that peace has returned to Plateau, it is no longer as it used to be.

“Once in a while we still have skimeshes here and there, but is is not as bad as it used to be. This is our own way of telling our story to change the negative narrative, we live on the Plateau and we know exactly what is happening.

“Through the Christmas village, we want to tell our story of successes and the development going on in Plateau and peace that has been restored. We currently have two Airline coming to the state and this is to tell you that people are trooping into the State on daily basis.”

Bentu explained that some of the activities to be featured in the Christmas village are live classical music stage production to tell Christmas story in a classical form which promised to he different and exciting.

She siad the Tapshak Entertainment would be partnering with the Department of Theatre Arts and the Department of Music, University of Jos to produce a play for the audience, made of up children and the adult who would participate.

“We are going to have Africa Village at Christmas which will be showcasing a typical African Village life at Christmas, we will be portraying what villagers do at Christmas.

“We will have a Yulitide run way, we will give our local designers opportunity to showcase their products, particularly the indigenous designers which we have alot on the Plateau and don’t have the platform to showcase the contemporary Nigeria outfits.”

Bentu explained further that the programme would create platform of interaction between Christians and Muslims and attract national and international investors.

“The programme is to create a platform for the purpose of interaction with individuals and organisations within the ambiance of Christmas, taking advantage of the cool yuletide season in Jos, there is no place as cool as Plateau in the whole of Nigeria.

“It is to help restore values and strong bones among families and to help restore theatre and entertainment culture on the Plateau. This is important for us because if you look at the entertainment industry, you will realize that Plateau has contributed immediately.

“Unfortunately, the ugly crises on the Plateau has affected the continuous growth of the industry and this is our own way of helping to restore the theatre and entertainment culture on the Plateau.

“There are so many people in the entertainment industry that at one time or the other in their lives that have something to do with Jos and that is because the environment give the atmosphere for creativity.

“The first theatre in Nigeria was built in Jos, that is the Yelwa Club, it was the European club and the Prof. Luka Bentu Indoor Theatre was an African club, so we had that theatre culture on the Plateau but over the years, the reoccurring crises, destroyed all that.”

count | 64

Tapshak Entertainment to Stage Christmas Village to Foster Peace and Unity in Plateau State