Press Release For Immediate Release
The Igbo Cultural and Support Network (ICSN) will be having its annual Iri-Ji festival on Saturday 22nd October 2016. The event will take place at Oasis Banqueting Hall 6-8 Thames Road, Barking, London, IG11 0HZ from 6pm to late. The event promises to be an amazing cultural experience with performances by ICSN dance troupe- Egwu Oganiru, a live band, masquerade, yam auction and dancing.
ICSN is a cultural organisation that promotes the core values of Igboland people. Through its monthly meetings and events, it connects a community of young Igbos in the diaspora, educating them on the importance of tradition, language, food, history and Igbo tribe culture. With the current state of the Igbo language dying out, ICSN hopes that the Iri-Ji festival will reignite the language by celebrating its significance. ICSN wants to challenge notions and perceptions by highlighting that the Igbo language still exists and is spoken widely amongst our people in the diaspora. “We want to ensure that the Igbo language is at the forefront of our activities. We offer seasonal Igbo classes through our Language School and have recently partnered with Imperial College University to deliver Igbo classes in London”, says Emeka Egbuonu, Assistant Network Director. Out of the 13 ICSN Executives, only 3 fluently speak Igbo. This is because past generations have failed us, thus, we are pleading to the young and old to communicate in Igbo. At the Iri-Ji festival, there will be Igbo worded flash cards on tables so people can practice with each other throughout the night. We want to make learning Igbo FUN, even at Iri-Ji!!
The New Yam Iri-Ji Festival of the Igbo people is an annual cultural festival, which takes place at the end of the rainy season. Igbo people all around the world gather to celebrate Iri-ji and mark the prominence of the yam in the social-cultural life of Igbo people. Yams are the first crop to be harvested and the most important crop in the region, hence the emphasis. The celebration is a very culturally based event, linking individual Igbo communities together. Throughout the evening, attendees will be served mouth-watering Nigerian delicacies including delicious rice, yam, meat and fish dishes.
All attendees are encouraged to wear native and traditional attires. This will be a fantastic opportunity to experience a celebration of the rich Igbo culture in London!
