Entertainment

Ten projects chosen for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ UK festival of creativity

Unboxed: Creativity in the UK – formerly known as Festival 2022 and derided by some as a “festival of Brexit” – draws on arts, science, engineering, technology and maths in a government-backed £120m celebration of ingenuity.

An epic scale model of the solar system and an “almost indescribable” artwork that is seen with closed eyes are included in a highly ambitious programme of live and digital events in UK towns and cities next year.

Ten projects selected from nearly 300 submitted ideas form a “once-in-a-lifetime” extravaganza, according to Martin Green, Unboxed’s chief creative officer, who was the head of ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics.

He said it was the UK’s “biggest and most ambitious public creative programme to date. Unboxed represents an unprecedented and timely opportunity for people to come together across the UK and beyond and take part in awe-inspiring projects that speak to who we are and explore the ideas that will define our futures.”

The festival was commissioned in 2018 under Theresa May’s premiership. It has been endorsed and funded by Boris Johnson’s government and the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

Free events will take place “from the Outer Hebrides to Dover, and from Omagh to Swansea, right across the UK” between March and October next year, said Green. Thousands of schoolchildren will take part in competitions and educational programmes, and hundreds of jobs and “opportunities for emerging talent” will be created.

“The future of creativity is about the combination of science, tech, engineering, arts and maths. Frankly, a lot of kids have been doing it already, it’s only the grownups that put walls around it,” Green added.

Unboxed will start with a journey through 13.8bn years of history, from the big bang to the present day. About Us, which begins in Paisley on 1 March before moving on to other towns and cities, incorporates live performance, multimedia installations, animation, poetry and music.

Another project, Our Place in Space, is a scale model of the solar system that combines 10km sculpture trails in Northern Ireland and Cambridge with an interactive augmented reality app.

Dandelion reimagines the traditional harvest festival for the 21st century, with miniature vertical farms in light cubes placed in urban and rural locations across Scotland. PoliNations is a pop-up forest of real and fabricated trees in the centre of Birmingham celebrating the multicultural origins of the UK’s people and plants.

Dreamachine is an immersive environment of light and sound creating vibrant imagery and kaleidoscopic patterns behind closed eyes. “People that have experienced the prototype have said how extraordinary and almost indescribable it is,” Green said.

Twenty thousand people will help create Green Space Dark Skies, a chain of lights across national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. See Monster is a decommissioned North Sea offshore platform transformed into a public art installation in Weston-super-Mare that celebrates British weather and the repurposing of redundant structures.

Galwad, meaning “call” in Welsh, combines television drama, live performance and an immersive app to tell a story set 30 years in the future. Augmented reality and 3D technology will be used to bring to life stories of the past and present in StoryTrails.

Tour de Moon is a “cosmic night-time adventure … an after-party of immersive experiences, new technologies and science innovation”, according to its director, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stepanian.

Green said Johnson had been briefed on the designs. “The project is supported and funded by all four governments of the UK, not an easy feat these days. But once they saw what we were trying to do, they absolutely all bought into it.”

Dame Vikki Heywood, the chair of the Unboxed board, said: “The programme will support economic recovery in the UK by reanimating towns and cities and expanding our connectivity through new online communities. As the programme unfolds, it will both entertain us and inspire us to imagine what the future might hold.”

Entertainment

Kano censorship board suspends 22 popular Hausa film series

The Kano State Censorship Board has suspended the airing of 22 popular Hausa series films for allegedly violating regulatory guidelines.

The board described the action as a strategic move aimed at enforcing compliance and promoting professionalism within Kannywood, the Hausa-language film industry.

In a statement issued by the board’s Information Officer, Abdullahi Sani Sulaiman, the affected titles include Labarina, Dadin Kowa, Manyan Mata, Garwashi, Jamilun Jidda, and Gidan Sarauta, among others.

The statement said the decision followed a management meeting and due consultation and was directed late Sunday by the Executive Secretary of the board, Abba El-Mustapha.

Other suspended series films are Dakin Amarya, Mashahuri, Wasiyya, Tawakkaltu, Mijina, Wani Zamani, Mallaka, Kudin Ruwa, Boka Ko Malam, Wayasan Gobe, Rana Dubu, Manyan Mata, Fatake, Gwarwashi, Jamilun Jiddan, Shahadar Nabila, Dadin Kowa, Tabarma, Kishiyata, and Rigar Aro.

The board emphasised that it is legally empowered to censor all films meant for production, marketing, streaming, or broadcast prior to their release, and to regulate all related stakeholders both within and outside the state.

“All producers or owners of the suspended films are hereby instructed to cease streaming or airing their content on television or the internet and to submit their productions to the board for censorship approval within one week, starting from Monday, 19th May 2025 to 25th May, 2025, to avoid legal consequences,” the statement said.

The Hausa film industry has, in recent years, shifted toward producing series films as a result of diminishing returns from traditional filmmaking. These series are typically uploaded on YouTube and aired on television, with most episodes released on a weekly basis.

Entertainment

Cubana Chief Priest’s Lekki Restaurant shut down by Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government has taken action against DONALD Restaurant, a popular establishment in Lekki owned by nightlife entrepreneur Pascal Okechukwu, widely known as Cubana Chief Priest.

The restaurant was shut down following an incident where two employees were caught illegally disposing of waste on the roadside.

Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the Managing Director and CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), announced the closure on his X handle.

He stated that the Chairman of the Lekki Estate Residents Association (LERA) had alerted LAWMA in the early hours of Saturday, May 18, 2025, about illegal dumping of waste along Durosimi-Etti Street in Lekki Phase 1.

According to Gbadegesin, “A white Ford van with Abuja registration plates GWA 136E was caught in the act of indiscriminately discharging waste.”

The vehicle was traced back to DONALD Restaurant, a nightlife establishment situated on Road 14 within the estate.

The suspects were apprehended on the scene by LERA’s Chief Security Officer and taken into custody at the LERA Secretariat.

Reports indicated that the individuals attempted to bribe the security team with ₦100,000, an offer that was firmly rejected.

LAWMA’s Monitoring and Compliance Team was immediately deployed to the location, where they took custody of the suspects and sealed the premises for gross environmental violations in breach of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.

Gbadegesin added that the suspects would be prosecuted in line with the law.

“LAWMA remains resolute in its commitment to enforcing environmental regulations across Lagos and urges all residents and businesses to adhere strictly to proper waste management practices. A clean and livable city is everyone’s responsibility,” Gbadegesin stressed.

Entertainment

Daughter of actress, Jumoke George trafficked to Mali returns after four years

Adeola, the daughter of veteran Nigerian actress Jumoke George, who was reportedly trafficked to Mali and had been missing for four years, has finally returned home to Nigeria.

The emotional reunion was announced by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), via her verified X (formerly Twitter) account.

“Breaking! Adeola, daughter of popular actress, Jumoke George, who cried out that she had not heard from her daughter in four years, is back home from Mali where she was trafficked to. Just received her, with Biola Adebayo who broke the story and Niyi Johnson. Details later!” Dabiri-Erewa posted.

The post included images of a visibly emotional reception, showing the young woman with actress Biola Adebayo and actor Niyi Johnson, who both played instrumental roles in drawing attention to the case.

Jumoke George had previously gone public with her distress, lamenting her daughter’s disappearance and appealing to the public for any information.

The case gained momentum after Biola Adebayo highlighted the issue, prompting wider media attention and eventual rescue efforts.

Although full details of Adeola’s ordeal in Mali are yet to be disclosed, her return marks a major success in the fight against human trafficking and a moment of immense relief for her family.