Specially organised category for Youth organisations for Mashramani 2017 Celebrations

GINA, GUYANA, Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Youth organisations will also be participating in the 2017 Mashramani celebrations, in a Special Category according to the Ministry of Education’s Unit of Allied Arts Convener Desiree Wyles–Ogle.

Ministry of Education’s Unit of Allied Arts Convener Desiree Wyles–Ogle.

At a press conference today at the Ministry of Education, Department of Youth, Sports and Culture, Main Street, Georgetown, Wyles- Ogle said that children’s organisations can apply to participate in this year’s Mashramani competitions

“We also have for the parade children’s organisations that could come on stream in terms of the competition so we have places like the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, we have the Police organisation that work with youths, National School of Dance, we are trying to encourage places like the orphanages and so on to come into this category, so this one is specially organised for the children organisations,” the convener explained.

Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sports has allocated $40m for the Mashramani celebrations under the theme, “Celebration with Liberty, Dignity and Greater Unity” which targets regional and national activities.

Wyles- Ogle said that the children’s parade will remain on its usual route from Parade Ground, heading east into Middle Street, north into Camp Street, east into Lamaha Street, north into Albert Street and conclude in the finale at the National Park.

The Ministry of Education’s Unit of Allied Arts convener said that, all the Education Districts competitions will be completed before February 09 which allows the children to gain a spot to represent their districts at the national level.

The National finals will be held at the National Cultural Centre and will feature 2000 children participating competitively in the Dance and Masquerade categories, followed by Calypso and Dramatic Poetry.

Meanwhile, Director of the National School of Music, Andrew Tyndall revealed that ANSA McAL Group of Companies will not be sponsoring

National School of Music, Director, Andrew Tyndall

the Soca competition category this year since they are refocusing their image.

“For the last ten years, (the) Soca competition has been managed and sponsored by ANSA McAL, this year they have decided to discontinue in that vein. Since it was a bit too late for the Ministry to plan the competition in time for Mashramani, we would not be having a Soca competition…However knowing that is a genre of music that a lot young people are involved in, the Ministry will later in the year have a National Music Festival and a soca competition will be a part of that festival,” the National School of Music Director explained.

Tyndall stressed that the Music Development Unit activities will proceed as planned especially the first Junior Caribbean Calypso competition slated for February 04.

Additionally, Special Projects Officer Lennox Canterbury said that the usual Church Street, Irving Street to the National Park route for Mashramani 2017 celebrations would be too costly, hence the decision for the selected Brickdam route to the Durban Jubilee Park.

 

By: Neloa Damon

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