BUSOLA ELEGBEDE: A Convergence of Great Minds; Part 1

To be a part of history and to have so many writers from 51 different countries come together for a Conference; the 9^th WOMEN PLAYWRIGHT INTERNATIONAL (WPI) CONFERENCE STOCKHOLM SWEDEN AUGUST 2012…… Mmmmh, I wondered what to expect?

Yes excitement engulfed my entire being, the thought of my play ‘LOLADE’S LABYRINTH’ been selected from the brewing pot of creativity still made me happy and proud. But let me not get carried away here; this is not just about my play, many other plays from friends, strangers and mysterious minds were picked and all will be picked, delved into, experienced and explored. I could not wait to be in Stockholm Sweden.

I am sure if you are like me, who up until last year October had never heard about

WOMEN PLAYWRIGHT INTERNATIONAL (WPI) CONFERENCE,

you are curious to know what they stand for. So I will summarize WPI six goals into one sentence.

These goals are highlighted in the wealth of words: exchange, production opportunities for women, education and development programs, defend the rights of women, encourage critic of women playwrights and of course WPI aims also to fuel the expression of women playwrights.

Are you stimulated enough to get involved? Then read more about my experience captured as a Convergence of Great Minds

The flight there from Nigeria was about six hours long, and the connecting flight from Amsterdam another two hours. I was glad to finally arrive at Central Station. To get my tickets to the hotel, I was told Euros were not accepted here; who knew? So I changed my Euros to Krunos. Which I have to say is easy because there are Forex offices everywhere.

Stockholm is beautiful, the castles, museums, the boat rides and lakes calmed my anxious nerves and to top it all up, living so close to water made me sleep so much better. The support for tourists is amazing and really you can’t get lost in Sweden only found. I enjoyed the food, the friendly people and wanted to own a bicycle because so many people ride so often you just want to join in the fun

Prepared for the conference, I set out early and explored around Skeppsbron; impressed with how many people jog and keep fit and the wide variety of healthy food available.

I got to Sodra Teatern early so I sat at the park just in front of it and watched the cute little dogs walk with their owners. They looked so happy and well treated I wondered what else they could hope for. Exciting enough it spurred an idea for my next play ‘STRAPPED’ which I am currently writing....