NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (OCTOBER 24, 2013) – Minister of Culture, Hon. Mark Brantley commended Nevis’ reigning Miss Culture Queen Ms. Jomelle Elliott on her achievement in St. Kitts on Saturday 19, 2013, where she placed first runner-up and won three segments in the Miss Caribbean Tourism Pageant hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Pageant Committee in St. Kitts.
During a brief visit to Mr. Brantley’s office at Bath Plain on October 22, 2013, Mr. Brantley spoke to her achievement in St. Kitts.
“Miss Elliott, I wanted to be here today as Minister of Culture to congratulate you in your recent place in first runner up in the Tourism Pageant in St. Kitts…I’m told that you didn’t become the winner of that pageant but it wasn’t by very much and so we wanted to congratulate you. We think it was a phenomenal showing,” he said.
Minister Brantley stated that since taking office in late January, the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) through the Ministry of Culture had pledged that Culturama Festival winners of the major shows would be exposed as ambassadors of Nevis.
“This Administration has made a commitment that our Culturama Queen, our Culturama King as the case may be that they should have maximum exposure.
“It is no longer a situation where the queen becomes Queen and that is it until she is ready to take the final walk. This is a situation where they are sending out our ambassador’s to represent Nevis and I believe, Miss Elliott, that you are doing a fantastic job and I want to congratulate you,” he said.
The Pageant was the first contest Miss Eliott participated in since she was crowned Miss Culture 2013 earlier this year. She also won the Best Evening Gown, Best Performing Talent and Miss Photogenic categories from a field of seven contestants from islands in the Caribbean.
Meantime, Mr. Brantley touched briefly on Culturama 40 and underscored the NIA’s support for the Culturama winners in major competitions.
“Culturama 40 is coming up. We are already starting slowly, we are building up towards that and so people who are out there who are looking on and trying to ascertain whether they should enter the show or not what they should do. I feel that we as a government are showing them that we are giving our winners, our contestants the maximum support and maximum exposure,” he said.
In response, Ms. Elliott encouraged her peers to participate in the competitions offered for the upcoming Culturama season.
“I would like to encourage other young ladies that have the ability to go forward and participate in shows to go ahead it’s a very good experience, it’s a lot of hard work, and sleepless nights but it’s all worth it,” she said.
Miss Culture was accompanied on her visit to Mr. Brantley by Executive Director of the Culturama Secretariat Mr. Antonio Liburd.
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