Carnival 2023 is already being planned and key stakeholders are anticipating another exciting event.
Organisers, Wednesday, updated reporters about the activity while the next day (Thursday) a local delegation was in Miami promoting the festival.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Donaline Vitae said that after undertaking a thorough review of this year’s carnival activities, the department is now better placed to plan for Saint Lucia Carnival 2023, which is scheduled for July 1 to 19.
“This year we are making it a statement for next year that we’re starting very early in terms of our announcement …our planning and our marketing in the Diaspora and in our other tourism markets,” declared Vitae.
With support from the partner agencies, she said: “We are hoping to bring a bigger and better carnival every year to you, for you to benefit economically and otherwise…so we are here for 2023.”
She noted that with the assistance of other partner agencies, the department is now set to unleash its ‘Reimaging Strategy’, in an effort “… to catch the early gains”.
Executive Director of the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF), Raymona Henry-Wynn described the unit as “the engine room that drives, nurtures and cultivates the art form in our artistes”.
She declared, “Carnival is one of the most unifying cultural and creative extravaganza in the region…and it finds its cultural expression, which is encapsulated in our music, dance, costuming and the revelry of the art form.”
Henry-Wynn further explained that the CDF’s role “is really to nurture all of that and to sustain the product …and place a lot of emphasis on development, developing the art form and developing the artists.”
Expounding on the CDF’s ongoing work projects, she disclosed that local artists will soon be certified “to take the “Saint Lucian” product to higher standards.
Henry-Wynn adds that in its quest to elevate the product, the CDF is going above board to help widen the horizons for local artists.
“Our aim is to make sure that our artistes are certified … and we have trained them to bring them up to a high standard, so that we have a wonderful product that we can display to the rest of the world,” she said.
The CDF has partnered with the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College [SALCC] to roll out a comprehensive training programme for artists that incorporates, such areas as; voice training, business of the arts, stage performance, portfolio preparation “and a number of areas that will build our artists …and will allow them to understand the business that they operate in, so that they (can) reap the benefits.”
Henry-Wynn reiterated that the CDF’s mandate was “to promote, nurture and develop our artistes…and we will ensure that for Carnival 2023, you can have a very powerful product that Saint Lucia can be proud of.”
Chairperson of the Carnival Planning Management Committee, Tamara Gibson notes that the early planning is “critical to the success of Saint Lucia carnival”. “Furthermore,” she said, “Saint Lucia Carnival 2022 was dubbed the Best Carnival in the Region”.
“And coming off of this high, we are ready to welcome the world to Saint Lucia, in 2023,” exclaimed Gibson.
She also announced the return of community carnival, and said the organisers will consult with the respective groups and provide support “to ensure that they too, produce a great carnival for 2023.” There will also be a return of Kiddies Carnival to the activities.
Lorraine Sidonie, executive director of Events Company of St. Lucia (ECSL) spoke about the agencies input into the execution of the carnival product. She noted that planning involves the input from various stakeholders, such as agencies and the artists.
While acknowledging the role and functions of the different groups, Sidoine asserted: “It’s really a chain reaction and ECSL puts its together, in terms of the execution and production of carnival … and we have to ensure that we have a carnival product that is of a high standard.”
Summing up the magnitude of promotions directed towards the carnival festival, she added, “The execution and production of carnival is key, and ensuring that the standards are met and that the standards are worthy of being marketed to an international audience is extremely critical.”