After a two year pandemic-induced hiatus, and an abridged staging in 2022, The National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) is back in full swing for its golden anniversary!
“We’re happy for the return of the island’s premier cultural showcase,” said Andrea Wells, Chief Cultural Officer at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF). “We want to thank all Barbadians for their support over the last few years ‘in the wilderness.’ And we extend an invitation to all of them to participate in the various creative disciplines on offer.”
The creative categories available for entry are Visual Arts (Fine Arts, Craft, Photography); Literary Arts; Culinary Arts; Theatre Arts; Dance; Film & Video; and Music. Barbadians of all ages and skill levels are eligible to enter these competitions as individuals – or as groups and schools where stated upon registration.
Numerous cash prizes and trophies will be up for grabs in the final stage of competition in each discipline. “On this historical occasion, we have included additional prizes on top of our usual honours,” said Mrs. Wells. “For example, we have included the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA Award, The “Barbados Landship Award” in recognition of this indigenous cultural organisation’s 160th Anniversary” and the Business Entrepreneurs Prize valued at $15,000.”
The festival will continue its exploration of national cultural identity through precise criteria which encourages the best effort from each participant’s expression, regardless of the specified artistic medium.
For instance, through the Literary Arts, adult and junior entrants are invited to submit poems, essays and short stories tackling the theme ‘Barbados: The Republic’ within the context of identity, evolution and legacy. The winning entries for adults will be featured in a commemorative publication celebrating 50 years of NIFCA. The literary work of the triumphant juniors will win a published anthology in their school’s name.
In the Culinary Arts category, local chefs are invited to showcase unique takes on confectionaries, preserves, baked goods, cocktails and ice-creams and desserts. “Whoever has the best use of local flours will win a special prize,” said the CCO.
Junior and adult filmmakers in Film & Video can tell their unique Bajan stories through Narrative Fiction, Documentary, Animation or Music Video. They also have the option to participate in the NIFCA 2023 Seven-Day Film Challenge, which takes place from Friday, October 27th to Friday, November 3rd.
Along with the usual platform of performances, the Music competition will feature three unique challenges for amateur artistes, songwriters, instrumentalists and producers across the island. The first welcomes the submission of original vocal and instrumental works from soloists, duos, and school and community groups. The second challenge encourages instrumentalists and vocalists to submit a cover of one of four productions from great Barbadian musicians. The options are Andre Woodvine’s “Hold You In A Song,” Arturo Tappin’s “Breaking Up,” Romaro Greave’s “Big People Party” and Nicholas Brancker’s “Nicalypso”.
The final trial lets musicians, arrangers, and beat makers fly their creative flag; welcoming submissions that put their own unique twist on a favourite local song (two or more changes to the arrangement must be done).
“This will be a special time,” said Mrs. Wells. “Fifty years of NIFCA, fifty-seven years of Independence, and our third year as a republic.”
She continued: “The spark of NIFCA was ignited by the spirit of independence. And as that flame burns bright, through our new era as a republic, we must continue our tradition of striving for excellence.”
For competition rules and registration for the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts, visit the National Cultural Foundation online at www.ncf.bb.
Deadlines for submissions to the Music, Dance, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts and Culinary Arts categories have been extended to Sunday, October 15th at 11:59PM.
For more information contact the NCF via email at info@ncf.bb or call 417-6620.(PR)
We Gatherin’ Activities Launched In Boston Over The Weekend
The spirit of Barbados was alive last Saturday, March 22, as the Consulate General of Barbados in New York, in partnership with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), officially launched the ‘We Gatherin’ 2025 series in Boston.
According to Consul General Lorenzo Harewood, the event, held at the Sorrel and Lime place, was a spectacular showcase of Barbadian culture, bringing together scores of Barbadians and friends of Barbados for an unforgettable experience.
“Attendees were immersed in the rich sights, sounds, and flavours of the island, enjoying pulsating local music, mouthwatering Bajan cuisine, and a vibrant marketplace filled with stalls owned by Barbadian entrepreneurs,” he said.
He noted that from handcrafted souvenirs to locally made products, the event provided a platform for businesses to connect with the diaspora and promote authentic Barbadian goods.
The Consul General said that the energy in the room was electric as Barbadians, young and old, reunited with friends, made new connections, and celebrated their shared heritage.
A major highlight of the evening was the exciting giveaways, including exclusive discounted travel packages and the grand prize won by Carson Straughn – a trip for two to Barbados. The winners were thrilled at the chance to visit their homeland and immerse themselves in all that the island has to offer.
Mr. Harewood stated that the successful launch marked the beginning of what promises to be an exhilarating ‘We Gatherin’ 2025’ series.
“With overwhelming support and enthusiasm from attendees, the celebrations are set to continue in Connecticut, and Philadelphia, and culminate in a grand finale in New York throughout April and May. Many attendees have pledged to follow the journey, eager to experience more of the warmth, culture, and togetherness that define the Barbadian spirit,” he remarked.
The Consul General added: “The partnership between the Consulate and BTMI underscores a shared commitment to strengthening connections between Barbados and its diaspora while promoting the island as a premier destination for both leisure and business.
“As the excitement builds, Barbadians across generations are encouraged to join the movement, return home, and take part in the national festivals and activities happening throughout 2025.”
During the event, a brief intermission provided an opportunity to recognise outstanding professional achievements. Mr. Harewood took to the stage to present the prestigious Professional Achievement Award to Professor Cardinal Warde, a distinguished faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Professor Warde is widely regarded as a leading expert in optical information processing and display technologies. His extensive contributions to the field include over 150 technical papers, co-editorship of a book, and co-authorship of three book chapters on optical materials and devices.
Beyond academia, his innovative work is reflected in 12 patents related to spatial light modulators, displays, and optical information processing systems, solidifying his influence in advancing cutting-edge optical technologies. (PR/GIS)
Season Of Emancipation Must Grow Beyond “A Set Date Of Activities”
Minister with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, is suggesting that the Season of Emancipation (SOE) moves beyond the commemoration of a “set of dates of activities”.
In fact, she believes that the time has come for the successes of the celebrations to be consolidated to create a larger footprint that resonates with Barbadians on a larger scale.
Senator Munro-Knight expressed this view during the 2025 Season of Emancipation media launch at the Rock Hall Freedom Village, St. Thomas.
The Minister told the gathering that the Ministry engaged in “a period of reflection” after the hosting of each Season of Emancipation activities through the lens of the Ministry’s internal critique, public opinion where applicable, and that of its stakeholders.
“And that reflection has said a couple of things to us, one, that the Season of Emancipation needs to move beyond a commemoration of a set of dates of activities to grounding that understanding of that intersection again with the past, now and future within communities and within the wider Barbadian psyche…. We need to move beyond the chorus of those of us who understand, those of us who are enthused, those of us who have already embraced the notion of emancipation and that journey and what it means…. Like I said before, embracing the wider Barbadian [public] and bringing them into the discourse and to the full understanding,” Senator Munro-Knight proffered.
She continued: “Our reflection on the Season of Emancipation also says to us that we need to create scale, that while we have done a number of things that have been good on their own, a number of activities that have been good on their own, that we need to make sure that we can now consolidate on those efforts that have been successful by creating a larger footprint, and then again, as I said, engaging more Barbadians.”
The Minister maintained that this year’s activities would see a “more concentrated effort and not just public relations” but educational awareness that involved a mix of competitions, docudramas, and other activities to lift the Season of Emancipation to a higher level of engagement.
A highlight of this year’s activities Dr. Munro-Knight said will be a partnership with Duke University in the United States of America on a project to immerse the bust of King Cuffie at sea in Speightstown, St. Peter. The bust will be removed one year later from the date, as an act of reconnecting with the past.
Meanwhile, Programme Advisor for Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement in the Prime Minister’s Office, Rodney Grant, gave an overview of the activities for the season, which runs from April 14 to August 27.
Mr. Grant said the public must never take the sacrifices of our ancestors for granted as we reflect on our journey to emancipation.
“Our ancestors never had free will. They could not choose when they wanted to eat, when they wanted to work, when they wanted to get up, when they wanted to go sleep, and we now, today, take this free will for granted. They died, suffered; they were burnt to death because they fought for us today to have freedom to do the things that we see are necessary and the things that we enjoy…. We should not take freedom for granted.”
Mr. Grant noted that emancipation and freedom were processes that were not yet over and it was “incumbent on all of us to continue to fight for emancipation”. (PR/GIS)
The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) through the Theatre Arts desk is launching our Online Theatre Repository featuring the Poetry Project Showcase. This Drama-in-Education initiative directed by theatre stalwart Icil Phillips dramatises select poems on the CXC syllabus for English B (Literature) using improvisation.
Ms. Phillips has championed the Poetry Project in Secondary Schools across the island for over a decade with a team of four actors, traveling to schools at their request. The project was halted due to the COVID -19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the NCF saw it necessary to revive the project and partnered with Ms. Phillips to produce the Poetry Project as a showcase in April 2024. The recorded series of dramatized poems featuring actors Tiffani Williams, Addis Ayele Matthias, Asiah Shepherd and Kraigg Carrington will now be made available to the region’s English Literature and Theatre Arts students as a study companion.
This engaging video series will bring new and exciting delivery of poetry via the art form of theatre, enhance the examination preparation of CSEC English B students, continue to fuel the development of culture while bridging the gap between literature and theatre.
The Cultural Officer – Theatre Arts (NCF), Ms. Janelle Mitchell, is extremely proud to have produced the Poetry Project first as a showcase and now a digital resource for Caribbean students. “As one of the former actors in the Poetry Project in 2014, I have firsthand insight to the impact it had on students and teachers as they moved into exam preparation, and the development it provided for the actors during this project. I believe that it is essential to carry the mantle on behalf of Ms. Phillips through the provision of this online repository for students and teachers as a drama-in-education resource as part of their classroom activities.”
We invite all CSEC English B/Theatre Arts students and teachers to log onto www.ncf.bb and enroll in the free drama content to assist them with the opportunity to grasp new interpretations of the poetry, build their critical thinking and understanding, as they prepare for the upcoming examinations. (PR)