The Lagos International Theatre Festival isn’t just a series of plays; it’s a cultural movement. It’s the home of world-class African storytelling.
At Toast, we were excited to join this project, helping to bring the festival’s ambitious vision to life.
How do you communicate “world-class” while remaining deeply rooted in the raw, real, energetic soul of Lagos Theatre? That was the core question.
Client:
Services:
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Motion Graphics
Marketing Assets
Social Media
Contributors:
Jide Awulonu
Sylvester Omotunde
For the 2025 edition, LITF faced a high-stakes challenge: they needed a visual strategy that clearly communicated the festival theme, “Unmasking Culture.”
The festival visuals had to be bold enough to grab a global audience, yet consistent enough to feel like a single, unified movement.
They needed content that could speak to dignitaries at the welcome dinner and to young theatre fans on TikTok, without losing its soul in between.
At Toast, we specialise in helping culturally impactful brands like LITF bring their vision to life with content that is both strategic and creative.
Before a single pixel was moved, we took a deep dive into the archives of global festival branding and created multiple moodboards and stylescapes.
Once the right vibe was identified, we built a 30+ page Creative Direction document that established the entire visual ecosystem.
The Masks: A nod to the theme, turned into graphic assets that embodied the duality we were looking for.
We curated masks that were elegant enough to intrigue dignitaries while remaining traditionally rooted enough to convey the culture of lagos theatre.
The Colours: Our sunrise palette, featuring colours that were equal parts vibrant and regal.
The Typography: We aptly chose Joboson Chika’s Ojuju typeface (meaning Masquerade in Yoruba). Its bold, traditional style fit perfectly with the festival’s theme.
The Quotes: Fun, exciting phrases that became the heartbeat of the festival.
Production Posters for the LITF shows
Over two months, we became a literal extension of the LITF team. We didn’t just hand over designs; we lived in the details, anticipating their creative needs and responding quickly.
Our output included:
We treated every reel, poster and merchandise tag as a vital chapter in the LITF story.
Print billboard designed to pique curiosity and encourage online searches of LITF 2025
Digital billboard
Apparel
Tote bags
Paper Wristbands
Wayfinding Signage
Instagram posts
Scenes from the Festival
The festival was a sold-out, two-day experience that looked and felt as good as the performances on stage. (And yes, we have a soft spot for the masterpiece that was “My Boyfriend Calls Me Ma”).
The real victory, however, was in the clarity of the vision. When the festival looks unified, the audience feels the impact. We didn’t just design posters; we designed an atmosphere that was enjoyable, easy to navigate, and beautifully curated.
Scenes from The Lagos International Theatre Festival 2025
“One thing people kept saying was how clear the vision for this year’s festival felt. It came up again and again. People couldn’t stop talking about it.
Bolanle Austen-Peters (BAP) even shared that she was overflowing with joy at how beautifully everything came together, especially after all her initial worries and jitters.
Thank you all for the work you put in. Truly, this would not have been possible without you.”
— Vanessa Jev, Program Director
