This initiative marks a transformative moment for Port Harcourt and Rivers State, as it seeks to restore and celebrate the connection between creativity, culture, heritage, the environment, and the creative economy. Once celebrated for its lush green spaces and seamless blend of urban life with nature, Port Harcourt now faces the realities of fading public spaces and inadequate urban planning. Art In The Garden City was conceived in response—a creative call to action that uses art as a vehicle for social impact, cultural preservation, and environmental responsibility.
By creating inclusive spaces, strategic opportunities, and collaborative networks, Art In The Garden City supports the growth of both emerging and established creatives. Its mission is to expand the creative economy by promoting multidisciplinary art, cultural heritage, digital innovation, and sustainable practices. This includes embracing the contributions of visual artists, storytellers, designers, and digital creatives who are pushing the boundaries of expression and reshaping how art interacts with technology and community.
Through community-engagement projects, storytelling-driven programming, and cross-sector collaborations, the platform fosters capacity-building and creates meaningful opportunities for creatives to thrive. Activities such as exhibitions, workshops, theatre performances, cultural exchanges, fireside chats, and collaborative art projects cultivate innovation, inspire connection, and strengthen the region’s creative landscape.
The initiative also amplifies the diverse cultural identities of Rivers State—including the Kalabari, Ogoni, Etche, Ikwerre, and others—by bringing their stories to the forefront through artistic expression. It affirms that creativity is not only a form of expression but a means of preserving identity, advocating for sustainability, and empowering communities.
While Port Harcourt has not traditionally been recognized as a hub for artists, this platform seeks to help to change that narrative. We have organisations like NLNG, Total Energies, galleries like Delaroke, Moriri, as well as popup exhibitions at Marley & Blue (a cafe), who support the creative sector in the state. What we are doing here is joining the conversation, as supporting artists has been one of the pillars of JIDZ, since its inception, well over a decade ago.
At its essence, this is a multidisciplinary movement, committed to using creativity as a tool for social impact, heritage preservation, cultural sustainability, economic empowerment and impactful storytelling- shaping a bold, authentic future for Rivers State’s creative landscape.
Date: 3rd May, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM
Venue: Alliance Française, Port Harcourt
Secure your seat for this limited engagement. Admission is free but registration is required due to limited capacity.
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