Ayo Adams: Crafting Change Through Creativity and Culture
Ayo Adams has gained well-deserved recognition in the Nigerian media landscape, celebrated for his inventive spirit, industrious approach, commitment to social justice, and, most prominently, his dedication to addressing socio-cultural issues through the mediums of arts, filmmaking, and social media.
Over the past year, Ayo has personally spearheaded a compelling series of documentary films aimed at fostering cultural rejuvenation throughout Nigeria.
With an academic foundation in theatre and media arts, Ayo achieved a significant milestone as the translator of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” into Yorùbá, debuting on stage in Ibadan in 2021.
In 2023, he became the first multimedia storyteller to document the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, Africa’s biggest performance art festival for social good in Kigali, Rwanda.
Currently serving as the lead digital producer at Yes FM Ibadan, Ayo Adams continues to contribute significantly to the media landscape, bringing his unique blend of creativity, cultural awareness, and social responsibility to the forefront of the development process.
1. Can you share some insights into your journey and how you ventured into the fields of arts, filmmaking, and social media with a focus on socio-cultural issues?
I was introduced to the arts in primary school. I attended Heart and Soul Nursery and Primary School where I featured numerous plays and performance arts. During this period, my interest shifted towards video and digital games, prompting my father to purchase a game console for us. As I transitioned from primary to secondary school, I began exploring computer features, honing my skills on a personal computer provided by my mother.
In secondary school, I was inspired by my uncle who had studied mass communication in University. Upon gaining admission to the University of Ilorin, where I pursued a degree in performing arts, I developed proficiency in stage and film directing, choosing directing as my major.
In University, I worked on numerous practical projects in film and theater production and these experiences profoundly influenced my interactions with the outside world. Notably, one of the major plays I directed in school was Akinwumi Isola’s “Herbert Macaulay and the Spirit of Lagos.”
In my third year, my lecturer Mr. Adegbite assigned the entire class the challenging task of producing their own film. This required scripting, casting, directing, and supporting camera and editing teams. Despite the difficulty, this experience cultivated a culture of pushing beyond our limits for many of us.
I have a passion for storytelling, embracing challenges, and striving for excellence. After completing the compulsory NYSC program, I began promoting cultural sites in the South West through writing. I would review tour sites and submit them to newspaper editors. This received several positive responses, so I continued writing more articles.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I created a short film to raise awareness about the pandemic and it’s effects on everyday life and shared it on social media. This has led to several opportunities to produce more short films centered on community impact.
2. Your documentary film series has garnered attention for promoting cultural revival in Nigeria. What inspired you to undertake these projects, and what impact do you hope they will have?
I really care about my community, and I think it’s important for us to share our own stories. If we don’t, we won’t be able to tell the real stories of where we come from.
My own experiences are a big part of the documentary projects I work on. I want to show people what I’ve seen.
I’m inspired to share new and interesting perspectives about our culture and people with the world. I want to change the idea that Africa is only about poverty. Instead, I want to show stories of cultural greatness and people making a positive impact in their communities. We’re changing the way people see this continent, one story at a time.
3. As the translator of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” into Yorùbá, could you elaborate on the challenges and rewards of bringing such a classic work to a new audience?
Taking on the challenge of reimagining a Shakespeare play in Yorùbá was both thrilling and refreshing. The idea came to me when I remembered reading and watching Romeo and Juliet in school – it was fascinating. I wanted my people to experience it from their own cultural perspective, so I decided to translate the story for a native audience.
The main challenge during the translation was the language of the original work, which wasn’t modern English. I had to carefully study the language before attempting to rewrite it in Yorùbá. Despite having a deadline, I worked continuously for twenty-two days to complete the translation. I paid special attention to the names and places in the work, making intentional connections to the characters.
Akinola ati Arike is the first Yorùbá adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I wrote it in 2021, and it premiered at the University of Ibadan, receiving positive reactions from the media.
The play was reproduced on stage in February 2022 for Valentine’s Day, and the audience feedback clearly shows that we can effectively convey any message to our audience in an indigenous language if it is skillfully crafted.
4. How has your academic background in theatre and media arts influenced your approach to storytelling and content creation, particularly in the context of your documentary projects?
I’m really thankful for my background in theater. It shaped me into the person I am today. I participated in radio dramas and directed for the screen during my time in school. I also led a community theater project and engaged in various productions, working closely with my peers. In school, there was a strong focus on being creative and exploring unique storytelling ideas – it was like a competition to come up with innovative and unusual approaches.
5. In your role as the lead digital producer at Yes FM Ibadan, what strategies do you employ to leverage digital platforms for effective communication and community engagement?
I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a passionate young team at 101.7 Yes FM Ibadan. Together, we analyze how different digital media platforms engage their audiences and figure out the best way to create content that appeals to them.
In all our work at the radio station, we take a storytelling approach to share our content across digital platforms. We use pictures and videos in both long and short formats to create a communication channel between the station and its audience.
Every week, we review the analytics to see which content distribution methods achieved our goals and where we can improve.
We also stay updated on new features on social media channels and analyze the algorithm to understand how our audience behaves on different platforms. This helps us stay relevant and connected with them.
6. Social justice is a recurring theme in your work. Can you share a specific instance where your projects have made a tangible impact on addressing social issues in Nigeria?
In 2021, I explored the impact of sports betting on the Nigerian economy through one of my projects. The main victims are young Nigerian youths who hope to increase their fortune through a lucky win.
Sadly, many of these youths don’t make a profit from betting. Instead, they struggle with addiction and question their place in society.
In my project, I drew the attention of authorities to examine this issue among the youth and address addiction and wasteful spending.
This year, my project “Notes to Death,” reflecting on the trauma of losing loved ones, helped one character in my stories return to education. He had lost both parents at a young age. After a viewer watched his story, she was moved and decided to sponsor his education from that moment on.
7. As a creative professional, how do you balance the need for artistic expression with the responsibility of addressing serious societal concerns in your work?
Having a clear sense of purpose is what keeps me in balance. Right from the start, I prioritize the reason why I’m telling a story, create a plan, and stick to it. If we find the need to explore certain expressions within the story, I seize the opportunity to do so while making sure it doesn’t undermine the true essence of the message we want to convey.
8. With the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, how do you stay innovative and relevant in your approach to using these platforms for advocacy and storytelling?
I have a culture of excellence. So, amid the evolution of these social media platforms, I remain committed to doing good work offline. However, I study and try to keep myself up to date with what is trending and how the audience reacts to each update. This helps to create an understanding of how best to engage and present my work across these platforms. Also, I have made my social media accounts about the stories that I tell. This is because I do not want my audience to have issues defining me. If they are looking for documentary-based stories on culture and social issues, they know that is what I am about, and that is how I have continued to engage them despite the rapid technological advancement.
9. In your experience, how do you navigate and overcome challenges that arise during the production of documentary films, especially when dealing with sensitive socio-cultural or environmental issues?
I manage these issues based on their unique experiences. To develop a documentary film, I am very certain that there is a factor that has motivated me to tell that story. So, I study the story, its environment, and the character very carefully before I begin to put it together. Through some professional courses, I learned what to show, what not to show, and how to not cause trauma to the subjects of the story or others along the line.
Also, when I am on the field, I have developed skills that have helped me relate better with people so that I can convince them to reveal it all without fear or fancy.
I do not make the stories about me. So, from development to production, we make the subjects part of the process. Their involvement will help us see things from their perspective and further shape how we can navigate impending challenges.
10. You worked on the Ubumuntu Arts Festival documentary film in Rwanda. What was your experience working on the project?
2023 was the first time I worked on a documentary film in Rwanda with the Ubumuntu Arts Festival. It was such a memorable moment for me because it was my first time there, and I got to experience the beautiful culture and kind people. I didn’t feel like a stranger working among other people from different walks of artistic life over there; it was so homely that it felt like I had been there before. Also, I love how the Ubumuntu Arts Festival has become a safe home for artists of different backgrounds and colors. The documentary we produced and the festival are a strong testament to what we can achieve as a people if we acknowledge our differences, celebrate our similarities, and yet unite to work on a mission. I love Rwanda, I miss my friends over there, and I hope to see them again soon.
11. Looking ahead, what future projects or initiatives are you excited about, and how do you envision contributing to the continued development of socio-cultural awareness and environmental consciousness in Nigeria through your work?
Recently, I realized that young people are inspired by the work that I do. They are also beginning to focus on social-cultural issues while using documentary as their medium of storytelling. That’s exciting for me, and I look forward to building a creative community for budding storytellers who are making attempts to navigate their way into contributing to this ecosystem.
And like I have always told my people, the work doesn’t stop; we will do more in 2024. We will tell stories of more individuals, spotlight communities, and other impactful projects across Nigeria and beyond.
Someone spoke to me about establishing a foundation that can monitor and contribute to the impacts of the projects we have worked on. I am excited about that, and maybe in the near future, it may come to fruition.
Above all, I will never be missing in action. From the very beginning, I have been here for the love of the community. I will always be here, telling stories of impact and resilience across the country.
