NEXT year’s Mashramani celebrations should be most exciting, according to the provisional Mashramani Calendar of Events. 

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Mashramani Secretariat have mapped out next year’s Mash festivities in detail, and with Mashramani launched on Friday, October 10, the activities are already underway.
Mashramani 2015 is being celebrated under the theme: “One People, One Culture, One Celebration.”
According to information from the Mashramani Secretariat, while the Calypso and Chutney auditions were held already, submission of musical scores for these events are expected to be completed by December 31, 2014. And rehearsals for the Calypso event will be conducted on January 12, 2014 at the Carifesta Sports Complex in Georgetown.
Mashramani will then move to Berbice with a Steelband Concert on January 25 and a School Steelband Competition will be held on January 30 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall during the day. The latter date will also mark the Junior Calypso Competition at the National Cultural Centre in the evening. It will also be the last day for registration for the Road March Competition.
The following day, January 31, will be the finals of the Chutney Competition in Anna Regina and the semi-finals for the Carib Soca Monarch Competition in Berbice.
On February 1, the elderly will be treated to a bumper Mashramani Concert while the closing date for registration for the Child Art Competition will be on February 3.
The always exciting semi-finals for the Adult Calypso Competition will be in Bartica on February 7. After that, the Steel Band Competition will be held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and on February 9 the National Museum will host a Mash Exhibition up until March 6.
The enjoyable Children’s Competition will commence across the regions from February 11. The closing date for the ‘Bright-Up Guyana’ Competition is February 13, 2015 and the judging for that segment will be done between February 20 and 22, 2015.
The Mega Finals for the Carib Soca Monarch Competition will be on February 14 at the National Park. The Folk Concert, Children’s Parade, Miss Mash Queen Pageant are all slated to be held on that day. A Steel Band Concert will be held on February 14 and 15 while the Masquerade Competition will be on February 15.
Up next will be a Republic Lecture on February 18 and a Republic Lecture Series Workshop from February 19-20.

ADULT CALYPSO
The Adult Calypso Competition will be at Thirst Park for its electrifying final on February 20, while the Literary Street Fair and the closing date for registration for the Essay Competition will be on that date also.

COSTUME AND FLOAT PARADE
The traditional Flag Raising Ceremony at Parliament Building is scheduled from 07:00 hrs on February 23 and the always exhilarating Costume and Float Parade from 10:00 hrs in Georgetown.
February 27 will mark the closing date for registration for the Capture Guyana Photographic Exhibition and the celebrations will continue with the Berbice and Linden Mash on March 1.
Meanwhile, the Mashramani presentation ceremony will unfurl at the National Cultural Centre on March 6 at 17:30 hrs.