Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

Experimenting cross-cultural conversation dynamics in Nigeria has become imperative amongst the youth for a better understanding of their cultural groups/traditions. It is a powerful way to enhance understanding and unity among diverse communities thereby fostering cultural exchange and promoting social cohesion. Basically, for artistic and intellectual cultural growth amongst the youth, there is need to shake off cultural bickering, apathy and stagnation. Significantly, traditional festivals are the conduit for the younger generations to learn and unlearn. Through a several approaches, including face to face interview, observational data and actor-audience participation, the paper examines the impact of recasting and digitalizing festivals for cross-cultural conversations. The researchers highlight the importance of inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, empathy and community engagement in organizing festivals as well as the potentials of youth-led initiative to drive crosscultural conversations. We experimented on inclusivity using Participatory Action Research Approach (PAR) as our backings. The findings suggest that digitalizing and recasting traditional festivals can be impactful as it provides opportunities for diverse voices to be heard, promote cultural conversation, cultural pride, and community engagement, among young people. The paper concludes that recasting and digitalizing cultural festivals are measures capable of providing the platform that could build bridges between different cultural groups and bring together young and older people to share cultural knowledge and experiences. It further demonstrates that a youth-led initiative can create a sense of pride and ownership among younger audiences. 

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