By FESTIVAL WRITER, For the Guardian

Keva Cartwright was born on March 27, 1952 in Nassau, Bahamas. She received her early education at Saint Thomas More Catholic School and attended high school at Aquinas College. While at Aquinas College Keva was an active participant in the National Arts Festival. She won prizes in both the drama and song writing categories of the Arts Festival. Upon graduating from Aquinas Keva attended the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota where she majored in Theatre & Public Communications. She also engaged in Public Communications studies at Saint Cloud University and the University of Minnesota.

Upon graduating from college, Keva returned home to teach. For four years she taught G. C. E. English and Literature and B. J. C. English and Literature in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Keva then joined the Cultural Affairs Division of the Ministry of Education & Culture. She began her tenure with the Department of Culture as an Assistant Cultural Officer responsible for Drama.

Keva is a true Renaissance woman. She is a musician, dramatist, songwriter, folksinger, lighting designer and technician. She has held the post of Lighting Director at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts since September 1979.

If you have enjoyed a production at the Dundas, Keva's design and lighting skills most likely were involved. She is responsible for the designing and lighting of almost every production that is held at the Dundas. She has also served as the Lighting Director for the Children's Choir of The Bahamas.

Keva also designs and lights the National Dance School's annual productions as well as productions of the National Youth Choir of The Bahamas.

Keva has performed both locally and internationally. She has represented The Bahamas as a Bahamian folksinger and lighting designer and technician in Curacao, Barbados, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Korea, and the United States.

Presently, Keva serves as the Senior Cultural Affairs Officer at the Department of Culture and as the Organizing Secretary of the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival.

In her post Keva works tirelessly each year to organize the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival, one of the most important cultural events in The Bahamas, and to promote the Festival throughout The Bahamas.