Friday, November 20, 2009

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National Arts Festival winners receive awards at Government House By THEA RUTHERFORD ~ Guardian National Correspondent ~ thea@nasguard.com: Dozens of winners of the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival packed the ballroom of Government House on Monday to receive awards for outstanding performances. Attended by Governor General, the Hon. Arthur Hanna, and other government officials, the awards ceremony was the culmination of a nearly half-year journey around the country in search of its brightest talent. Festival coordinators and adjudicators assessed entries in music, dance, drama and art and craft from over 30,000 people in almost every inhabited island and cay of the archipelago. This year's winners celebrate their achievements during a landmark year for the festival movement. Established in 1959 with the Music Festival, the festival movement expanded over the decades to include the categories of dance, drama and art and craft. In 1976 the festival became a national endeavor. It was named in honor of the first director of culture, the late E. Clement Bethel, in 2005. This year it celebrates its 50th anniversary. "We see here this morning the results of 50 years of progressive evolution," said Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Desmond Bannister. "The festival this year has been the most successful in terms of participation." The Governor General, Minister Bannister, Minister of State for Culture Charles Maynard and acting director of Culture Eddie Dames presented the national winners with their awards over the course of the roughly two hour ceremony. Through a partnership with Ivory Global Promotions that proved successful last year, six of the national winners in music were once again awarded places at the Washington Jazz Arts Institute in Washington D.C. Past festival winners were selected as adjudicators in honor of the 50th anniversary. The adjudicators were nationally renowned playwright James Catalyn (drama), COB music lecturer and prolific songwriter Audrey Dean-Wright (music), National School of Dance principal instructor Lekeisha Bostwick (dance) and celebrated artist Eddie Minnis (art and craft). Cultural Affairs officer Keva Cartwright coordinated the event, assisted by fellow officer Antoine Wallace. Art and Craft officer Ellery Deveaux coordinated entries for that category. In demonstrations of the glowing talents that earned them their distinctions, students performed throughout the program. Afterwards, winners talked excitedly about their successes. "It feels great but it all started off with God, He's the leader of the band," said Lekendro Taylor, a twelfth grader and the leader of the pop band at Kingsway Academy, winner of its category. The School also won the festival's prestigious Governor General Award. "We felt really great," said Dorothea Whitlock, head of the Performing Arts department at L. W. Young Junior High of her school's Junior Junkanoo Overall win for 2008 – 9. The school's Junkanoo group, led by teachers Karen Knowles, Tessa White and bandmaster Emmanuel Pennerman, among others, also won best music. Whitlock said that the group benefited from the support of the enthusiastic former principal, Telfort Mullings, as well as parents and the entire staff. Family Island schools did particularly well in the Festival, grabbing a significant amount of national titles. The island of Grand Bahama stood out for music, Exuma excelled in dance and Long Island shined in drama. Teachers and students were also given special awards for outstanding performances. Alisa Robinson (GB) and Carolyn McIntosh (NP) received the Horace K. Wright Award for Excellence in Art and Craft; Patricia Moore (GB) and Darren Palacious (GB) received the E. Clement Bethel Award for Excellence in Music; Quinton Smith (Long Island) received the Pandora Gomez Award for Excellence in Drama and Julian Collie (GB) received the Hubert Farrington Award for Excellence in Dance. Rodney Gibson (GB) was awarded most outstanding music director, while Center Stage Performing Arts Studio (Exuma) was awarded most outstanding School of Dance. The Orchestral School of Music (GB) was awarded most outstanding in music. St. Anne's School (NP) received the distinction of most outstanding in art and craft. Saturday, November 7, 2009