VINCYMAS WILL return in all its glory to its home, Victoria Park and the streets of Kingstown this July.

RICARDO ADAMS

The announcement was made this week by Ricardo Adams, the chief executive officer of the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC),and follows a change in this country’s COVID-19 protocols which removes restrictions on gatherings nation-wide.

“We have been very hopeful for the last couple months that the time will come when the medical professionals will give us the green light to go ahead with Vincymas as a nation…that word came on Friday that as it stands now, Vincymas can happen in its traditional sense,” Adams said at a press conference at the CDC office at Victoria Park.

At a press conference in February, Adams announced that Vincymas would return for 2022 in a scaled down format from June 24 to July 5.

It was also noted that the cultural festival would be held in its full, unrestricted state but only if the country achieved at least a 70 per cent vaccination rate.

However, a recent release from the Health Services Subcommittee ushered in zero restrictions on the number of persons who can attend an indoor or outdoor gathering, regardless of their vaccination status.

“I can tell you that the energy that is bottled up waiting to be released is not going to make it a traditional Vincymas in terms of the enthusiasm of the general public but at least, you’ll remember when we went initially to meet with Cabinet, we had proposed a number of vaccinated events, scaled back events, more controlled locations… and now again going on the guidance of the professionals, we have been able to revert to some of our traditional venues. We are now able to say we are going back to the streets of Kingstown as it stands today…” the CEO said.

He added however that the CDC’s position has not changed as they will revert to a more controlled Vincymas, should the medical professionals reinstate gathering protocols.

According to the Health Services Subcommittee, recommendations for the reinstatement of gathering restrictions will be considered if the COVID-19 case positivity (percentage of tests which are positive) rises and is higher than 5 per cent over a two-week period, or if 10 or more new COVID-19 cases without possible connection to each other are reported in a single day.

The dates for Vincymas 2022 is expected to remain the same with the line-up of shows previously announced.

However, the change in protocols may see the return of junior shows that were previously excluded because of their difficulty to manage.

He provided an explanation for the change in locations that were previously identified which will now cater for increased numbers.

“ So for instance, the one thing that comes to mind is that Mardi Gras, we had originally said, would’ve been at the tarmac. We now have permission

to have Mardi Gras back in Kingstown,” Adams said.

It is now expected that Calypso tents will be able to host tent shows in their usual locations, and without the gathering restrictions, given the change in protocols.

The Ragga and Soca semi-finals will likely still be held in Pembroke this year at the Emerald Isle compound, and EVO will be staged at the Cruise Ship Terminal.

The CEO also said discussions are ongoing with rural carnival organisers.

“One of the things again we’re discussing with them is the capacity to put on the festival that they would have traditionally done,” Adams said, adding that it may be too late to host the traditional, quality pageants which are featured in rural carnivals, this year.

“However if rural carnivals have other cultural components they want to showcase, if rural carnivals have steel bands resident in their communities, soca artistes resident in their communities and there are shows that we can support along those lines, then again, within the financial constraints that are imposed on the CDC by virtue of the fact that we were planning for a scaled back Vincymas, we would certainly support those”.

Adams stressed the importance of cultural aspects being included “because what we want Vincymas this year to be in particular, is the drive to bring back the cultural expression of our people, back into Vincymas”.