NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – The first wave of activities for the highly anticipated Nevis Culturama 50 and Homecoming Celebrations was revealed during the festival’s media launch on Thursday, January 25, at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park.
Chairman of the Culturama Committee Mr. Antonio “Abonaty” Liburd said the Committee had begun preparations for the 50th anniversary of the festival well in advance and the press briefing conference was strategically planned for January 25 as it marked six months until the start of Culturama 50.
Mr. Liburd promised that the “On the Road to Culturama 50 Experience” would be an exciting one. The events unveiled are not the final calendar for Culturama 50, he pointed out.
“These are the first set of activities, it will not include the fringe activities which are the activities that private promoters are organizing those activities will be added sometime later and we are targeting February 25 to release our second wave of activities for Culturama activities and this second wave would include the fringe activities.
“Later we will have a third wave which will include our calypso tents, our Action Corner and other promotional events that are planned for the On the Road to Culturama 50 Experience.”
He highlighted some of the activities including the launch of Culturama 50 and reveal of the senior pageant contestants on April 12 at the Charlestown waterfront; a fashion show at the David Freeman Center of Excellence on July 14; opening of the Cultural Village and Soca Monarch semifinals on July 20; official opening of Culturama 50 on July 25 at the Cultural Complex; Culturama 50 Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational (MGR) Park on July 26; and Miss Culture Swimwear and Mr. Kool Contest at the Cultural Complex on July 28.
Other activities revealed included the Soca Monarch Contest on August 01 at the Cultural Village; Senior Calypso Finals on August 02 at the Cultural Complex; the Culturama Art, Craft and Cultural Food Fair at the MGR Park, and Culturama 50 Emancipation Concert at the Cultural Village on August 03; Miss Culture Queen Pageant on August 04 at the Cultural Complex; Emancipation J’ouvert Jump Up in Charlestown on Monday, August 05; and Culturama Street Parade and last Lap on Tuesday, August 06.
The Culturama Chairman also divulged that a full slate of six contestants for the Miss Culture Queen Pageant, and six contestants for the Miss Culture Swimwear Competition have been confirmed.
“We are however still accepting applications for two additional Mr. Kool participants. Registration remains open for the other competitions, which are the Junior and Senior Kaiso and Soca Monarch, Mr. and Ms. Talented Youth Pageant, Road March and the Panorama Contest. So I’m encouraging all who are interested in these remaining competitions to go online on our website www.culturamanevis and download the application forms, or you can visit the relocated Culturama Secretariat which is located in the Philip St. Jean Building in Ramsbury, right next to the Maude Crosse Preparatory School.”
The Cultural Complex and Cultural Village are scheduled to undergo renovations starting in February, aimed at improving the overall experience for patrons.
The press conference was chaired by Mr. Pheon Jones, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA). Attendees included Culturama Committee members, sponsors, reigning pageant and competition winners, and members of the media corps from Nevis and St. Kitts.
Minister of Culture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Deputy Premier the Honourable Eric Evelyn; Permanent Secretary in Finance Mr Colin Dore; and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Mr. John Hanley.