Beyond Fabric and Paint: Costumes and Makeup as Creative Catalysts in AKSUFEST 2024 Cultural Shows

The need to situate the role of costume and makeup in the projection of human values has led to the increase interest in performances and trends of productions including films. However, not much concern is always given to the ingenuity of the costumier and makeup artists on the ability to imagine and raise the consciousness that anchors these performances. Using ex post factor methodology and contextualism as its theoretical framework, this paper interrogates the creative impacts of costume and makeup in select traditional performances during AKSUFEST 2024. The traditional performances were Ekpo masquerade and “Beneath the Sky”, a dance performance. Findings show that, beyond the aesthetics, the costume of Ekpo establishes the personality of Ekpo while the costume of dance intensifies the mood and indicates period. Makeup in Ekpo situates the cosmic conception of Ekpo as the interface between the mortal and immortal, while makeup in dance establishes the personality of a performer, tones down the effects of the light, intensify mood and add glamour to the dancer. Findings further show that AKSUFEST opens more outlets for create experimentation. The study concludes that creativity brought to the limelight can promote a society and recommends that Akwa Ibom State government should partner with the Department of Performing Arts to widen the span and scope of AKSUFEST in order to make it the cynosure of the state festival. With AKSUFEST properly placed in the festive calendar of the university and beyond, there would be room for creativity, exposure and entrepreneurship towards raising a formidable economic frontier from the robust culture to the state.