As part ofUK/Nigeria 2015–16, which is a major season of arts work in Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and strengthening relationship, the British Council has launched a free workshop for artists tagged "The Art of Billboards"

A workshop for artists to explore the possibilities for art and design in the public realm.

Launching on the 18th of January 2016, artists Karo Akpokiere (Nigeria and Germany), Matt Stokes(UK), Nick Waplington (UK and US) have developed new works of art to be presented in a very public context in Lagos. Rather than making work for galleries, each have made new works to be presented on billboard hoardings in the public realm in Lagos.

What happens when advertising space is used to represent daily life on a grand scale, replacing the usual aspirational images of commercial marketing? When advertising space is used to celebrate daily life, rather than sell new products, what impact does this have on our experience of reality? For Your Ad Here these artists pay tribute to the social networks and complex economies of day-to-day life in Lagos found in restaurants, music shops and exemplified by street sellers.

Inspired by these three works, artists from Lagos and Abuja, at all stages in their careers, are invited to take part in a workshop to explore the important of public space as a site for art and for advertising. The Art of Billboards will explore how art and design can be used to empower and engage wider audiences for art. How can artists and designers work in public spaces to challenge the limits of commercial advertising? Can we explore the power of art to encourage people to look, think and question?

Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to take part including fine artists, photographers and designers.

This project is led by Create London and A Whitespace Creative Agency.

The workshop will be held on the 11th and 16th of February 2016, from 10:00AM – 5:00PM at a Whitespace Lagos in Lagos and the British Council in Abuja.

To apply for the Art of Billboards workshop, please complete the form below and send to UKNigeria@britishcouncil.org with the subject line ‘Art of Billboards’ no later than 1 February, 2016.

The forms can be downloaded from the workshop website: https://www.britishcouncil.org.ng/apply-art-billboards-workshop