Advisory Board
A distinguished circle of artists, scholars, and culture leaders guiding the vision of The Bridge Festival.
Kenneth Uphopho
Artistic Director & Festival Manager
Nigerian artistic director, writer, and festival manager with over 25 years in the creative arts. Founding director of the Lagos Fringe and Abuja Fringe festivals, and Managing Partner of PAWSTUDIOS Africa. Former pioneer Festival Director of the British Council Lagos Theatre Festival, ISPA Global Fellow, and Salzburg Global Fellow.
Bikiya Graham-Douglas
Performing Artist & Creative Executive
Nigerian-British performing artist, actress, and creative executive trained at LAMDA and the Oxford School of Drama. Founder of the Beeta Universal Art Foundation and Creative Director of the Beeta Arts Festival in Abuja, dedicated to nurturing young playwrights across Nigeria.
Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo
Journalist & Culture Archivist
Prominent Nigerian journalist, culture archivist, and advocate with over four decades of influence in the Nigerian arts landscape. Widely recognized as a "culture worker" and mentor to a new generation of African creatives, dedicated to preserving and advancing cultural expression across the continent.
Paul Ugbede
Playwright & Novelist
Nigerian playwright, novelist, and short story writer with over 20 plays to his name. Winner of the maiden Beeta Playwright Competition for Our Son the Minister and the Akete Playwriting Competition. His satirical work draws from his Igala heritage, telling untold stories from Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Ana Candida Carneiro
Playwright, Scholar & Educator
Award-winning Brazilian-Italian playwright and Head of the MFA in Playwriting at Indiana University Bloomington. Founder of the Babel Theater Project, her multilingual work explores immigration, climate change, and globalization. A Harvard Research Associate and Hystrio Prize winner.
Andrew Black
Author & Filmmaker
Versatile storyteller working across film and literature, bringing together compelling narratives with visual artistry to create works that resonate across multiple mediums.