Headgear production Cultural performance International collaboration

In a bid to develop cultural tourism in Nigeria, a number of states across the Federation instituted carnivals in which they showcase aspects of Nigerian and popular cultures in street performances. Cross River State, Rivers State, Lagos State, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are at the forefront of this initiative. The Calabar carnival in Cross River State as it stands now, holds the position of dominance and fame among the rest, judging from the organization, publicity, patronage, utilitarian thrust and artistic profile of the carnival.1 In terms of organization, it is run by a commission made up of technically competent members who are either drawn from the performing and visual art industry/academia or are connoisseurs of the arts. The commission also collaborates with and draws technical manpower from the well-established carnivals of Trinidad and Tobago and Rio in Brazil. As part of technical manpower development for the Calabar carnival, workshops and series of interactive sessions have been held over the years for creative personnel involved in costume production, float construction, headgear production and other technical activities. In 2012, a part of a band from Brazil participated in Calabar carnival to strengthen the technical partnership, amidst providing a different variety of cultural performance