NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (July 24, 2019) — The Ministry responsible for Culture under the leadership of Hon. Eric Evelyn continues to make major investments in the improvement of the island’s main venue for cultural events.
The Nevis Cultural Complex in Charlestown where major shows are held during the annual Culturama festivities is often subject to rain interruptions and for the first time in its 45 year-history, the stage will be covered. Mr. Evelyn toured the facility on July 23, 2019 to assess the work done to enhance the patron experience and expressed his thoughts.
“All of what we have done here at the Cultural Complex is to enhance the experience of our patrons…It enhances the aesthetic of the Cultural Complex…So I am happy. I think the covering, the tenting is looking fantastic. It has good height…I think it is perfect for the stage and I believe that overall our patrons and our performers will absolutely love what we have put in place for Culturama 45.
“This of course is a milestone year for us, and we have gone all out to ensure that we have an almost brand new look for the Cultural Complex, and of course we want our patrons and our performers to be happy, and that is why the Nevis Island Administration, with its foresight and its vision, has decided to do this,” he said.
The Culture Minister used the opportunity to thank his Cabinet colleagues for approving the project in quick time to enhance the facility.
Mr. Antonio “Abonaty” Liburd, Executive Director of the Culturama Secretariat, and Central Committee Chairman for Culturama 45, who was also present spoke of the reason for the project.
“For many years we have been plagued at the Cultural Complex whenever there is rainfall during a show. The stage would get wet and we would have to lose a lot of time to get the stage dried of all of the water that would have gathered at the stage.
“Last year during the Miss Culture Swimwear and the Mr. Kool, we encountered such difficulties and we lost approximately 45 minutes in trying to get the stage cleared of the water,” he said.
Along with the stage covering, the vendors’ booths received a facelift. The media booths have been refurbished and a permanent concrete base was constructed for the Culturama Lounge, formerly known as the VIP section.
The major renovations this year are a continuation of improvements which began in 2018. Last year the wooden seats were replaced with concrete seating, repairs were done to the vendors’ booths and the bandstand was remodelled.
Mr. Liburd told the Department of Information that future plans for the complex include the demolition of the existing vendors’ food booths and the construction of new ones and the erection of a permanent structure for the Culturama Lounge.
Also present on the tour were Mr. Keith Glasgow, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture; Mr. Jerome Rawlins, Chief Executive Officer of the Nevis Cultural Development Foundation; and Mr. Andrew Warner, Chief Executive Officer of Visual FX and Lighting Systems, who erected the truss tent for the stage.