WTF with Brenda Fashugba of Lagos Fringe

That's beautiful.

What I really love about your story is that you saw something that wasn't working.

for actors and that process, and you decided to make a difference.

And what has that journey been like for you? I mean, up into the fringe, because you've run your fringe in a very compassionate and caring way.

We'll talk about that in a minute, but how did you start to build that and start to change your community and the way that people were being treated?

Before I got into theater, I had a side business where I was event planning.

And it was a 360 agency where we would plan from invites, catering, venue, you know, all of those things.

So I think I already had some of those skills when I moved into theatre.

I just saw it as this big event I needed to manage.

I think that was the first thing.

And then I just decided that, look, I didn't need to have too much of the profits.

I could put it into ensuring that artists were well fed.

They got their allowances.

And even though the salaries were little, it was the best of what I had.

And so more often than not, I'd go without.

And whatever it is that was made would be the splits for the artists.

But it meant that I also had to have a full-time job so that I don't starve.

With the hope that theatre was going to become lucrative as we continue to build experience, build an audience, you know, and all of these things.

And pretty much that was it.

I've always felt that the arts has never gotten the respect that it deserved.

And if I was going to go into it, I was going to give it that respect.

I was going to do as much as I could to ensure that my name would be always on projects where people felt seen, talent was expressed.

and just giving it a little more gravitas, you know, so to speak.

And so that's really what motivated me.

And besides, I don't like to fail and it drives me.