St Lucia’s pool of carnival judges recently received a significant boost of energy as the Saint Lucia Carnival Bands Association in collaboration with the Cultural Development Foundation successfully hosted a two-day Carnival Adjudication Training Seminar.
The training workshop specifically targeted carnival enthusiasts and individuals with a keen interest in growing the festival by becoming certified judges in the King and Queen of the Bands, Junior Carnival and the Parade of the Bands competitions.
The workshop was facilitated by veteran adjudicators Ingrid Rahim-Foster and Dabid Lopez both from Trinidad and Tobago and took place on Friday, May 31st and Saturday June 1st at the Palmville Conference Room, Rodney Bay.
The interactive training sessions, were according to participants, “a true eye opener” regarding how the main showpieces of the festival are adjudicated. The sessions focused on Adjudication, Carnival as an Industry, Theatre in Carnival (Stage, Costuming and Communication), Explanation and Interpretation of the Adjudication, Criteria, Weighting and Scoring, Analysis of Costumes (Kings / Queens / Bands), Guidelines and Ethics in Adjudication, and Logistics.
CBA representatives confirm that the seminar provided band leaders and Association members in attendance with the essential understanding as to how judges are to carry out their functions.
According to the SLCBA, “We are pleased with the outcome of the workshop. The cross-section of persons who attended included prospective judges, judges from the existing pool and bandleaders. For mature bandleaders in particular, it is an important refresher, while for newer competitors it is a necessary introduction.
Expectations are that 2019 will be a record year in terms of participating bands revellers, and competing kings and Queens.
It is hoped that there will now be a more informed pool of judges and competitors, which makes for a better carnival season for all.