Nigeria: Bolanle Austen-Peters, a multi-faceted cultural entrepreneur

In her home country, Nigeria, Bolanle Austeen-Peters is one of the most influential figures on the cultural and artistic scene. In addition to her lawyer’s robe and entrepreneur’s hat, the Nigerian has invested a lot of her time and energy in the arts, particularly film and theatre. As the founder of the Terra Kulture cultural centre, she also works to preserve and pass on her country’s languages, art and culture.

Today, Bolanle Austeen-Peters is committed to promoting her country’s art and culture. After a legal career, which began in her father’s law firm in the early 90s and continued at the United Nations as an international lawyer, she decided to return to her first love. Passionate about art since her childhood, she went back to Nigeria and swapped law for art. In 2003, she began an adventure by founding “Terra Kulture”, an art gallery which has gradually evolved into a cultural and educational centre promoting Nigerian culture in all its diversity. To date, the centre has organized hundreds of art exhibitions, staged hundreds of plays…

In 2013, she turned to theatre and film. She set up her own theatre production company, BAP Productions, whose vision is to change the narrative about Africa. She has produced a number of plays, including « 93 Days » (2015), which was screened in several film festivals, including the Toronto Film Festival, and won several international awards….; « The Bling Lagosians », produced in 2019; « Collision Course » in 2020, which was broadcast on Netflix and was crowned Best Film (West Africa) at the Africa Magic viewers’ Choice Awards. In 2021, she directed the film « Man of God », which was released in 2022 and produced by Netflix.

Her production company has also produced a number of musicals showcasing Nigerian culture both nationally and internationally, such as “Wakaa the musical!” (2016), which was presented at London’s West End in England.

Bolanle is also committed to promoting art education. She founded the « Terra Academy for the Arts », which offers free training in sound, set design, animation and screenwriting.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a Master’s degree in International Law from the London School of Economics and Political science. She is known for promoting and contributing to the development and preservation of her country’s languages, art and culture throughout her career. She was named by Forbes Africa as one of the most influential women in Africa.