|
March 6, 2007
Saba will be busy in the coming months, generating ideas for representation at
the Cultural Games "2007 Crown Jewels," to take place in July, at the same time as
the Kingdom Athletic Games. Dutch consultant Arthur le Cosquino de Bussy spent
Friday morning in consultation with Franklin Wilson, Head of the Saba Department of
Education, explaining the programme.
The event will take place in The Hague on July 20- 2, with all six Antillean
islands and the Netherlands participating. Du Bussy said that the purpose of the
bi-annual event was to counteract some of the negative publicity surrounding
Antillean residents in the Netherlands by featuring a positive, cultural experience.
He said that it is a cultural festival in a wider sense. Although based mainly on
performing arts, there are no strict criteria and no targeted age group. It is left
to each island to determine what they will submit, but ideas need to be submitted by
March 9.
A delegation from each island will travel to give a live performance during the
Games. The size of the island delegation will depend on the island population. In
Saba's case, fi ve tickets will be financed by the Netherlands If space is
available in The Hague, more Antilleans can join their island group, but they would
need to be self-fi nanced. Youths 13-18 are especially targeted in an event called
"Move your Arts." Each island will have a contest at home and each island juries the
winners, who will go to the competition in the Netherlands. They will perform there,
but also attend various workshops to further develop their talents.
This cultural contest can be in the area of dance, music, spoken words, or design,
including graphics, the Web, et cetera. Saba will be allowed space for five
delegates. De Bussy said there had been a meeting of Culture Commissioners on
Curaçao last December, in which Antillean Minister of Culture Omayra Leeflang had
promised some co-funding support, especially if islands needed technical assistance
in preparation and training for the Cultural Games. Interested parties on Saba may
contact the Education Office.
 Back to community news page.
|
