Nevis Culturama 39’s Chairman calls for peace during festival

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (JULY 29, 2013) — Chairman of Culturama 39 Dr. Patricia Bartlette, called for a spirit of peace throughout the Culturama season when she delivered remarks at the launch of the 2013 edition of the island’s main cultural event at a ceremony at the Charlestown Waterfront on July 25, 2013.

In a symbolic gesture, Dr. Bartlette released two white doves which flew into the sunset to reiterate her call for peace.

“Please permit me to release these doves as a gesture of peace. To put context to this symbolic gesture, I quote Ina Woolcott who wrote ‘The dove teaches us that regardless of our external circumstances, peace is always just a touch away, within us and always available.’

“As the 2013 Culturama Chairperson, I beseech us to reach within, release all emotional disharmony, past and present, and embrace the spirit of Culturama. Let nostalgia take us back to the future. Yes, I said back to the future where we sing the refrain of King Meeko: ‘A country where peace abounds.’ Ladies and gentlemen I bid you peace,” she said.

During her remarks, Dr. Bartlette also spoke to some of the various shows that would be available for the festivities in particular those which would be reintroduced and the new initiatives for patrons this year.

“For this year’s Festival we have introduced for the first time a Miss Teen Nevis Pageant…Another initiative we have for this year is the ‘Poets in the Square’ event which would be hosted this year by the “Pharaoh,” better known as Chesley Davis, a poet in his own right. This activity was added to the Culturama calendar to provide daytime entertainment for our visitors especially. We have already carded 20 poets for the daily lunch-time event and would be having an open mike on each day to facilitate those poets that have not yet registered.

“We have reintroduced the Art Exhibition which would have a home at the Cotton House in the unit which was previously occupied by the St. Kitts -Nevis Development Bank. The Art Exhibition opens on Sunday July 28th and it runs until August 10th, 2013. Madame Deborah Tyrell who spearheads this activity, has informed that 12 artists have already committed to showing their work in wood, acrylic, stone, fabric and watercolour,” she said.

According to Dr. Bartlette, aquatic sports and the ‘Best of the Best’ Kaiso show were other shows reintroduced for Culturama 2013.

“We have reintroduced the Aquatic Sports which will be staged this year by the Empire Sports Club. We have also reintroduced the St. Kitts and Nevis ‘Best of the Best’ Kaiso Competition in an effort to include our family across The Narrows and in our quest to mend fences, build bridges and to promote goodwill. We are looking forward to a good show,” she said.

The Culturama 39 Chairman also used the opportunity to recognise the corporate community who had willingly stepped forward to make the annual cultural festival a reality this year.

“Times are hard, money is scarce or rather money is a scarce, scarce commodity. However in spite of the tough economic times impacting us all, there are some model corporate citizens who have made sacrifices to support our efforts to stage Culturama 39.

“I would like to acknowledge with sincerest gratitude our major sponsors and donors and they are as follows: LIME, Builders Paradise, S L Horsfords and Co. Ltd., Four Seasons Resort Estates, Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority, Island Hardware, Carib Brewery, TDC Group of Companies, the St. Kitts-Nevis Development Bank, Cape Air, the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Group of Companies, St. Kitts Bottling Company, Rams, KFC, Nevis Solid Waste Management, Brown Hill Communications, Coastal Air Transport and the Bank of Nevis.” she said.