PRESS RELEASE
BRADFORD, WEST YORKSHIRE , 24 JULY 2026. The Bradford African Festival of Arts (BAFA) 2026 has successfully delivered a landmark industry grade capacity building immersion programme, designed to strengthen organisational readiness, operational resilience, and artistic excellence in the leadup to its third edition this summer titled BAFA 2026 (NKOSO).
Spearheaded by globally recognised festival administrator and theatre practitioner Mr. Kenneth Uphopho , vsionary Festival Director of Lagos Fringe Theatre, this intensive workshop brought together BAFA’s core leadership, department heads, and community representatives to align practices with international benchmarks in festival management, theatrical production, and largescale cultural event delivery.
Running ahead of the festival’s official dates ; 3 August to 8 August 2026, including the inaugural Yorkshire Film Festival on 4 August 2026 , the initiative was structured around core creative industry frameworks, bestpractice governance, and crosssector sustainability models.
The curriculum covered strategic festival administration, artistic curation excellence, business development and revenue modelling, risk mitigation, and stakeholder relationship management, alongside practical tools including organisational SWOT analysis, structural gap audits, and workflow optimisation.
“This was far more than a training exercise , it was a professional calibration for the entire BAFA team,” said Dr. Olushola A. Kolawole, Convener & Festival Director of BAFA. “Working with Kenneth Uphopho has given us access to worldclass expertise and proven systems that will help us deliver an event defined by excellence, integrity, and innovation.”
Facilitation followed a rigorous, practitionerled approach drawing on decades of experience building one of Africa’s most successful cultural festivals. Sessions explored organisational architecture , including tiered governance structures, clear chains of command, and line management protocols , alongside advanced artistic programming, thematic coherence, and curation of fringe and openaccess platforms.
Participants also gained critical skills in event lifecycle management, archival documentation, compliance, venue logistics, crowd safety, strategic partnership development, sponsorship valuation, audience development, and cultural diplomacy.
A key focus was setting clear performance standards and operational KPIs for all personnel, affirming every team member as both an operational steward and a cultural ambassador for the festival. Participants were tasked with upholding accountability, seamless crossteam collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to exceptional audience experience , including flawless delivery of the BAFA Festival strand and exemplary professional conduct across all interactions with artists, dignitaries, volunteers, and the public.
The workshop brought together BAFA’s senior leadership and key stakeholders:
• Dr. Olushola A. Kolawole (Convener & Festival Director
• Chris Iheuwa (Festival Director, Yorkshire Film Festival | BAFA Theatre and Film Director)
• Jumoke Muritala (Arts Exhibition Lead, Festival Manager)
• Tope Dada (Director of Music)
• Daniel Okezue (Media Coordinator, Communications Lead)
• Tobi Olorunmakomi (Operations Manager & Logistics Controller)
• Carl Selorm Dovi (Creative Producer, Programmer)
• Osemeike Gloria Eyieyien (Project Manager)
• Jonathan Abedi (Mobilisation Officer)
• Queen Esther Osakwe (Children Coordinator)
• Praise Ajewole (Digital and Creative Officer)
• Korede Badmus (Project Administrator)
• Isabella Judith (Welfare Coordinator)
• Oluwadamilola Tomiwa (External Communications Lead)
• Immanuel Obani (Projects and Business Support Officer)
• Jorokee Kamuvete (Community & Diaspora Officer / Namibian Community Liaison) , alongside additional community stakeholders.
“The knowledge and vision shared here will cascade through every level of our team, from core staff to volunteers and participating artists,” added Chris Iheuwa, Festival Director of the Yorkshire Film Festival. “We are now fully prepared to present a benchmark event that showcases the very best of African and diaspora creativity to Yorkshire, the UK, and global audiences.”
With this foundational milestone complete, BAFA 2026 stands poised to deliver a vibrant, purposedriven celebration of arts and culture rooted in professionalism, unity, and creative brilliance.