SEMIS BACK AT STADIUM

Leacock outlines NCF's plans for Crop Over

The Pic-O-De-Crop Semifinals competition will be returning to the National Stadium from this year. This announcement was made by Dr. Allyson Leacock, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), as she outlined new plans for the festival during a news conference yesterday at Grand Barbados.

The semifinals, which was moved to the East Coast Road four years ago on suggestion from Magistrate Carlisle Greaves, has reportedly been a huge success since the venue change, drawing thousands of patrons.

Explaining the reason for the switch back to Waterford, Leacock said: "We decided that we will have the Part Monarch competition at the East Coast Road. We had lots of discussions with many interest groups and the majority felt that the Festival (Pic-O-De-Crop semifinals) should be seperated again'".

She also said that along with the Pic-O-De-Crop competition, the NCF will be looking at seriously adopting "Passport to Picong", a "Caribbean Picong Festival", which fuses the elements of local calypsonians in the competition and picong.

Leacock also said the Crop Over season, which will run from July 15th to August 7th, will focus on increasing cultural activities within communities.

She listed a 'Zonal Calypso Competiton' along with the Crop Over Night Cricket, as ways of getting the communities involved with the season.

The "Cohhoblopot Show" which is slated for August 6th, will feature a fusion representing four different types of calypso. The four elements of entertainment will be "Needles and Pins" featuring the Mighty Gabby and the Red Plastic Bag will be dominating the "Ragga Ragga" arenas. Young ambassadors, Edwin Yearwood and Allison Hinds will head the "Pump Me Up" and Glamour Girl Wine" segments respectively.

Dr. Leacock went on to state that as a part of Junior Kadooment, a number of schools and community groups will be involved.

NEW VENUE FOR FOLK

The NCF is considering Holders House or the National Stadium for the annual Folk Festival scheduled for July 26th. However, the concept of the Folk Concert is to create an intimate setting which will feature a unique presentation using all the elements of music.

While discussing plans for the Congaline Festival, she said that plans are in place to ensure that Congaline becomes the premier festival of the Caribbean. "One of the objectives is to use the Congaline Festival to broaden the participation in the cultural life of Barbados". "The major goal", she added, "is to boost the local music industry to create what we see as a fresh product for Congaline."

The CEO also urged local calypsonians, in particular, to use the Festival as a platform to launch their Crop over music. She also added that local calypsonians will get a chance to share the stage with headliners such as Lorraine Klassen from South Africa and Jimmy Cliff from Jamaica.

Also scheduled to perform during the Festival, which runs from April 27th to May 1st, will be Square One, Black Amali and the Festival Band which has traditionally only performed at Crop Over.

NIFCA

THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CREATIVE ARTS (NIFCA)

Entry forms for the 2000 Festival will soon be available from the National Cultural Foundation - West Terrace and The Queen's Park Art Gallery in Queen's Park. When other distribution points are made available this page will be updated.
The areas for entry and Cultural Officers responsible are:

DRAMA - Kofi Akobi

DANCE - Karen Pestaina

MUSIC - David Jordan

PHOTOGRAPHY & FINE & CREATIVE ARTS - Rodney Ifill and Ashanti Trotman

CULINARY ARTS - Karen Browne

LITERARY ARTS - Nailah Folami Imoja.
Please collect your froms early so that there are NO LATE entries. The National Cultural Foundation will be able to process the entries in a reasonable time-frame and assist where needed. Your kind cooperation is appreciated.
For Accounts, Technical or Cultural information please telephone 1(246)424-0909.

BOOKINGS FROM THE THEATRE...AT THE THEATRE

If you need to book the Daphne Joseph-Hackett Theatre, Steel Shed or the Stables? You can now do that by contacting Ms. Fran Wickham-Jacobs at the her new office at the Daphne Joseph-Hackett theatre. Telephone:- 1(246)427-7267.