GUYANESE will be treated to a packed calendar of events as the country moves steadily towards the 50th anniversary of its Independence.Committed to ensuring that national pride is expressed through the work of the creative among us in this time of “Reflection, Celebration and Inspiration”, the administration said that the celebrations will help ignite a sense of national pride, which we fought for 50 years ago.

President David Granger, in his speech to Parliament on May 12, reflected on the fact that the symbols of our nationhood have, over the years, become symbols of our undying love for Guyana.

“We cherish the symbols of our nationhood, which we adopted at or around the time of Independence. We cherish our National Anthem, our national awards, our national coinage, our national flag, our national festivals, our National Motto, our National Pledge, our national monument and our beautiful national and patriotic songs”, he said.

The celebration of our Jubilee, therefore, is an opportunity to illuminate our pride in all the things that make us Guyanese through our talents and national symbols as a nation.

Heartening to note is the passion expressed by artists across the country in their desire to be part of Jubilee celebrations. Minister within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, said that, since the launch of the Jubilee Celebration, there has been an increase in the expressions of interest from persons in the arts and entertainment industries.

She said that the National Commemorative Commission has received several proposals for shows and events, and has chosen from among them the most suitable initiatives, which have been placed on the Calendar.

As the celebrations get underway, the public will have access to several youth-targeted initiatives: film, music, and drama festivals, and several other attractions. These activities will give persons in these industries opportunities to showcase their talents and skills for the Golden Jubilee. Moreover, these activities have been planned with the specific intention of bringing hope to the younger generation as they grow to become integral parts of Guyana’s future development.

“The theme ‘Reflection, Celebration and Inspiration’ -– particularly inspiration — is really to provide the young people with the tools and support that they really need to dream bigger and reach higher in the next 50 years,” Minister Henry said, adding that those involved in every aspect of the Golden Jubilee were asked to think outside the box; to be innovative and creative, so that Guyana’s youth would be inspired.

Film and Theatre
Local film organisation CineGuyana has launched its Golden Jubilee Film Festival which aims to showcase the talent of local film- makers. The festival is a collaborative effort between CineGuyana and the Culture, Youth and Sport Department of the Ministry of Education, and is being held at various locations across the country.

President of CineGuyana, Mr. Phillip Williams, said the Festival contains a line-up of eight films that dive into themes like cohesion, love and forgiveness, culture and folklore. The films were produced out of a workshop which started in 2010 from a collaborative effort between the Government of Guyana, the University of Guyana, and Ohio University. Since the festival has started, Mr. Williams said, viewers have been impressed with the quality of the work produced by the film-makers.

“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds. It entailed a lot of hard work, sleepless nights. It was a really rigorous training, and since we have been through this experience, we want to share it with other people,” he said, adding that it is CineGuyana’s hope that the festival spreads the enthusiasm to young, aspiring film-makers. The group intends to do so by forming film clubs and conducting workshops in schools.

Teaching students to use accessible tools, like their cell phones, to start making films, Mr. Williams said, can help to jump-start the career of the new generation of film-makers and storytellers.

Local playwrights are also busy at work in preparation for the Jubilee Theatre Festival. In an interview with members of the planning committee, Coordinator Ms. Mosa Telford explained that the writers had initially planned to stage some of their work for the Jubilee, and were happy when they received an offer to partner with the Ministry on the initiative. While the organisation and partnership has not been without its challenges, the Festival will stage a total of 17 plays, two of which will be performed in Berbice, two others at the National Cultural Centre, while the remaining plays will be staged at the Theatre Guild.

The Festival includes works from over the past 50 years and several well known and loved productions which touch on social and cultural issues, folklore and other topics. Theatre-goers will enjoy Frank Pilgrim’s comedy ‘Miriamy’, ‘Journey to Freedom’ by Francis Quamina Farrier, and ‘Benjie Dahling’ by Dr. Paloma Mohamed.

From contemporary playwrights there is ‘Till Death’ by Tashandra Inniss, ‘White House on Black Street’ by Clinton Duncan, and ‘Some Other Nights’ by Nicholas Singh.

She stated that while much local interest has been expressed in the staging of these plays, there is also a significant amount of interest pouring in from the diaspora. What is more, she boasted, the majority of directors and other key contributors to the Theatre Festival are young people.

Speaking on youth involvement, fellow committee member Clinton Duncan stated that, in this new age of technology, there is much that young people can bring to the table.

“There’s a big pool of untapped resources when it comes to youths… and we don’t make the most of it,” he said. Mr. Duncan added that while there is a wealth of knowledge in experience, the younger generation, particularly through this theatre festival, aims to reinvent and reinterpret the same stories that were told almost fifty years ago, while adding their own stories to the mix.

Fashion
With the upcoming Jubilee Festival, fashion will also play a major role in entertainment in the coming weeks. The Jubilee Festival will begin on May 19, and while the exhibition will be held at the national stadium, fashion shows will be hosted each day at Colgrain House. The Guyana Fashion Council will start off the celebration with a showcase of 10 young designers on May 19, followed by the launch of Guyana Fashion Weekend on May 20. The Council will continue with another showcase on May 21, followed by a show by Mrs. Donna Ramsammy-James on May 22.

According to Vice-President of the Guyana Fashion Council, Mr. Derek Moore, patrons can expect a fantastic show. He said that, thanks to social media, there has been a notable change in the fashion trends and personal appearance on the local scene, which in turn has affected the work of designers in the local fashion industry. Moreover, he believes that the talent of local designers is at a level that can hold its own on international standards.

“All Caribbean countries have a niche…and I think Guyana is about fashion. I am quite pleased about the kind of work I see here from our local designers, and I am happy that the Ministry of [Public Telecommunications] is partnering with us,” he said.

Music
Apart from government involvement, individual stakeholders have come together within the private sector so as to make their own contributions to the Jubilee celebrations. The ‘Unity Ambassadors’ and the ‘Golden Children Project’ are two groups of artists with a similar goal: bringing together local musical talent to produce content that showcases Guyanese culture, and promoting their music on an international level. Member of the Unity Ambassadors, Yerrodin Bowen, explained that the message of unity in their song “Together we can have it all” is one that is relevant and palatable to Guyanese, but is not exclusive to Guyana. Following the launch, The Unity Ambassadors were also able to perform their single last weekend at the Bartica official township ceremony.

On the other hand, The Golden Children Project is an entire album of songs dedicated to Guyana, but it has been composed in a way that will allow persons to appreciate the Guyanese sound.

Producer of the project, Mr. Jonathan Beepat, said the idea for the project came about one year ago, following the 2015 General Elections and the renewed threats by Venezuela to claim Guyana’s territory.

“We saw that people had a renewed spirit and a new fervour, so we decided to come up with a song that reflects that…the name ‘Golden Children’ represents Guyana’s people, because I believe that our people are our wealth, and it’s good when we can all come together as one,” Mr. Beepat said.

The album will soon be available on iTunes and other online platforms, as well as on local locations. Following the positive response from the public, both the Golden Children Project and the Unity Ambassadors will be participating at other Jubilee events in the days to come.

Apart private events, other music-centred initiatives planned by the National Commemorative Committee have been staged as well. Last weekend, patrons were treated to an array of musical delight at the Champions of Steel Concert at the National Cultural Centre. The event featured memorable renditions of all genres by well-known local steel pan orchestras and soloists, including the winners of the Republic Bank’s Panorama Steel Pan Competition and steel pan legend Roy Geddes.

Literary Arts
Other events, like the Jubilee Literary Festival, are also underway, and have been hosted throughout the country. Member of the Planning Committee Mr. Al Creighton explained that focus will be placed on works from well-known Guyanese writers like Peter Kempadoo and Edgar Mittelholzer, along with more contemporary writers.

The Festival also includes workshops and writing competitions, and recently hosted a Poetry Slam competition which drew much attention from the youth. In the area of sport, the National Sports Commission has made its contribution to the calendar of events in the form of swimming events, rugby and volley competitions, horse racing and other events.