By Wole Balogun, Ph.D
(S.A Media to VC)
A Professor of Choreography and Performance Aesthetics of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, has charted the future for professionals in the performing arts in Nigeria on a successful career in integrating technology in the art of creating and performing the arts. Prof. Bakare in an insightful keynote address, titled: ” THE CITIZEN-PERFORMER AND THE PRESENT FUTURE: TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSFORMATION IN PERFORMING ARTS”, which he presented at the 2025 annual Conference of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artistes (SONTA), succinctly x-rayed the challenges, opportunities and prospects among others that advancement in technology offers for robust and profitable career in the performing arts of drama, film, dance and music.
He gave a concise background to the trajectory of technology and performing arts globally, running through the developmental phases of the intersection of Arts and technology.. He also concentrated on recent developments in the performing arts and the use of technology for both commercial and distribution purposes, and analysed the opportunities and prospects available for practitioners willing to make success of the trade.
Speaking about the advantages of using technology into the arts of creating and presenting performing arts, Prof. Bakare said: “Additionally, Al-enhanced audience analytics help performers and producers tailor performances to audience preferences by analyzing data from ticket sales, social media engagement, and real time reactions.
As Al technology advances, it will likely introduce even more radical changes to the performing arts. One potential development is Al-driven real-time improvisation, where intelligent systems respond dynamically to live performances, adjusting lighting, sound, and visual effects based on the mood and movements of performers. Al-generated virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences could redefine immersive theatre and concerts, enabling audiences to interact with digital performers in real time.
Al could also enhance accessibility in the performing arts, Real-time translation and captioning tools, powered by machine learning, will allow global audiences to engage with performances in multiple languages. Al-driven holograms may also become a standard part of live performances, enabling artists to appear in multiple locations simultaneously or even collaborate with Al-generated Performers.”
Warning on a possible emergence of what he termed citizen performers as akin to the now widespread citizen reporters in the field of Mass Communication, Prof. Bakare says that : “Advancements in Smartphone technology have democratized the creation and distribution of performing arts leading to the rise of those I call “Citizen Performers”. Citizen Performers are ordinary citizens who are neither professionally trained nor skilled to practice any of the art forms in the performing arts. However, these performers have seized the advantage provided by advanced phone technology to become performing arts content creators and distributors and have by so doing, achieved extreme success both in fame and financial patronage. In Nigeria for example, the likes of Woli Agba, Taaoma, Sidney Talker, Sabinus, Lasisi Elenu, Shank Comics, Josh too much, KIeKie, Remote, Mcolympiababa, Layi Wasabi and Kiriku Official, to mention a few, have humongous online followership from which they rake in millions of Naira on daily basis. Meanwhile, most of their skits are extremely shallow in plots, shoddy in artistry, illogical in thoughts and, poor in aesthetics. However, in spite of these impurities, these citizen performers as said earlier on, command such huge online followership that has given them huge wealth. For example; Taaoma has 5.8 million followers on Instagram and 1.8 million followers on YouTube. Woli Agba has 4.7 million on Instagram and 752, 000 on YouTube, KieKie has 4 million on Instagram and 795,000 on YouTube, Remote has 1.2 million on Instagram and 227,000 on YouTube, Lasisi Elenu has 4.8 million followers on Instagram and 465, 000 followers on YouTube, Shankcomics has 2.8 million Instagram and 858,000 on YouTube same for others in this league. The lowest of them is Mcolympiababa who has 102,000 followers on YouTube. If half of these numbers click on the performances of each of these citizen performers online performances in a day, it is millions of Naira that daily drop into their bank accounts.”
The first Professor of Dance in Nigeria cited instances where the use of technological gadgets such as the smart phones, and other apps and Al tools have revolutionarized the creation and marketing of the performing arts, saying : “The question then is what is their secret? Their secret is the use of the following technological tools and the possibilities they offer. Online Platforms for Distribution, The rise of digital platforms has transformed how performances are shared with global audiences. Websites such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram provide free access to a massive audience, eliminating the need for traditional gatekeepers in the entertainment industry. Same for social media platforms such as X and Facebook. Musicians can distribute their work through streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp, reaching millions of listeners without requiring a record label. Similarly, self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Stageit allow playwrights and theatre performers to monetize their productions directly.
Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, Patreon, and GoFundMe have also played a crucial role in supporting independent performers. These platforms enable creators to raise funds directly from supporters, bypassing traditional funding sources like production companies and grant agencies. Successful crowdfunding campaigns have led to the production of independent films, albums, and theatre productions that might not have been possible through conventional financing.
Technology has significantly lowered barriers for individuals to produce, distribute, and monetize performing arts. Smartphones and editing tools have simplified content creation, while online platforms provide direct access to global audiences. Social media and crowdfunding further empower artists by offering marketing and financial support. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will further redefine the landscape of independent performing arts, making it more accessible to creators worldwide.”
Based on the foregoing observations, he therefore urges performing Artistes in the country to rise to the occasion and deploy technology prudently to make a success of their career.
His words: ” At this juncture, SONTA leadership, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I want to ask rather rhetorically. With this avalanche of tools and available opportunities to ply our trade in a manner that optimizes our gains in the present and transit us to a future that is financially huge and robust, professionally fulfilling and secured, shouldn’t we retrain ourselves to be part of this technology-driven present future? Shouldn’t we then add to the things we teach in the performing arts and change the way we teach them? Shouldn’t we begin to teach our students the things that will make them better positioned to be part of the prosperity currently being monopolized by the non-trained and minimally talented citizen-performers whose only advantage is their knowledge of how to manipulate technological wares, tools and applications?
My answer is obvious, and your response wouldn’t be different from mine. However, we also need to balance the act, this is because as they say, not all that glitter is gold. Yes, we must be part of the new technology driven practice but we must also avoid the limitations and ethical concerns of technologies as we engage and explore their possibilities. “
Esteemed listeners, despite the aforementioned challenges, the integration of technology and AI in the performing Arts is inevitable. Practitioners, teachers, trainers and students of the performing arts who want to be part of the present and own the future must embrace the new tools and possibilities. What needs to be put in place are proper regulations, ethical guidelines and balanced human-AI collaboration that are crucial to ensuring that technology enhances, rather than diminishes artistic expression.
The future of performing arts will likely be defined by the continued evolution of AI, virtual and augmented reality and blockchain technology. These innovations are revolutionising artistic expression and audience engagement so much that non-compliance could be professionally suicidal. With AI reshaping the performing arts in profound ways, from drama, to dance, music and film to real-time performance analytics, its future applications promise even greater advancements in interactivity and accessibility. As it continues to evolve, its role in the performing arts will likely expand, pushing the boundaries of creativity and artistic innovation, thereby condemning non-compliant performing artistes to, at best, the fringe of practice. “
