Drama groups’ video presentations impress Chief Cultural Officer

Participants in this year’s Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines National Theatre Arts Festival have been lauded for the presentations they made at the official launch this week.

Video presentations that highlighted the five participating groups and the plays to be staged at this year’s festival were shown during the launch, which took place on Tuesday.

And chief cultural officer, Anthony Theobalds was so impressed that he returned to the podium after his official remarks to “eat my words”.

“Your presentations here tell me that I haven’t done my work well enough. I needed to come out and visit you all and realize the way in which people are moving forward from one stage to the next so congratulations on that,” Theobalds said. “It seems as though some of the elders are coming back to the stage. Congratulations on groups who have been able to get that done and a big up to all of you for this wonderful set of presentations.”

The chief cultural officer, in his previous remarks, said that St Vincent and the Grenadines was the only place where people participated in the arts between age 16 and 25 and often cease to return to the stage in the older years.

Omari France (left), BOSVG’s senior marketing executive presents a cheque to a representative from The Police Drama Club at Monday’s launch of the Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines National Theatre Arts Festival.

He also said that there should be more active drama groups especially if persons have developed a passion for the arts within those years. This was something that Theobalds said that he was not seeing.

But after the presentations, he saw otherwise.

The Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines National Theatre Arts Festival officially begins on November 2.

Participants in this year’s festival are the ReeJa’s Theatre Alliance, Police Drama Club, Urban Expressions Theatre, St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Performing Arts Society (SVGCC PAS) and the Division of Nursing Education Performing Arts Club (DONEPAC).

Anthony Theobalds, chief cultural officer

Omari France, BOSVG’s senior marketing executive, said that the bank recognizes the importance of supporting activities like the Theatre Arts Festival, “especially in our current social climate where young people of our nation are in need of some positive influences”.

“The National Theatre Arts Festival provides an outlet for self-expression in a safe and nurturing environment. We at BOSVG hope that our partnership provides the support needed by the various groups to continue to pursue their passions in theatre,” he said.

France encouraged participants to believe in themselves and to remain focused on their goals.

Omari France (left), BOSVG’s senior marketing executive also handed over a cheque to a respresentative from the SVGCC Performing Arts Society.

He also challenged the organizing committee and the ministry of culture to make plans for the future of the festival and to continue engaging the young minds of the country.

The group presentations made at the launch will be shown on the television at the BOSVG branches.

Additionally, Steve Wallace, who broadcast the proceedings live on Facebook via his company, STV online, said he would work along with each group to provide trailers for their plays, free of cost.

ReeJa’s Theatre Alliance will open the festival on November 2, November 3 and November 4 with a play; ‘The Claim’.

The Police Drama Club will perform a play entitled ‘Little is Much’ from November 9 to November 11 and the Urban Expressions Theatre will perform ‘Illusions’ from November 16 to November 18.

From November 23 to November 25, SVGCC PAS will perform ‘The Ritual’ and DONEPAC will bring the festival to a close with the play ‘Remember the vow we made” from November 30 to December 2.