TEA! Talent! Togetherness! The second CARTE BLANCHE was held in the Eucalyptus Gardens at the Theatre Guild. Patrons dressed in white to have tea in the historic gardens and it was a spectacular image. Sipping Lipton Tea and having conversations under three giant eucalyptus trees were good for the mind, body and soul. The Carte Blanche concept was born out of the notion to give accolades to our regional creatives within an imaginative, tropical, open-air experience which is set against a backdrop of pure elegance, represented by white textures. I believe everything I do is because of God and Pastor Frank who was visiting from Canada, was elated to lead us in prayer.

Guests were asked to dress in white to complement the white setting. The beautiful and creative centrepieces depicting the 50th Anniversary celebration stood out in the all-white atmosphere. The idea of the centrepieces was to foster youth empowerment creative initiatives by engaging the children in school. Some amazing pieces were submitted and judged. Amy Rambajan from The Bishop’s High School and representing Peter’s Hall emerged winners. Dutch auctions are always exciting and patrons look forward to participating. The two main auctioneers, Nigel Hughes and Ron Robinson, were not available so I had to substitute and from reports, I did better than I thought. I did jokes during the auction that I had made the tasty doughnuts but I told them in the end, it was from Le Treats: two precious items made from the greenheart bark from one million acres of forest in the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve. It was fitting that Dr Raquel Thomas, who is one of the directors at Iwokrama, modelled this masterpiece. After competitive bidding, John Forde won and Wendy Hermanstine was determined to win the wall plaque. These were designed by the super talented Natasha David.

Much gratitude to Richard Young for leaving his carnival parties to be here in Guyana and he was magnificent with his contagious sense of humour. He was the perfect host. Jo Anne Forde never disappoints with her soulful voice and her brother John performed a captivating dance. The Alana Ward (guitarist) Akeem Adams (violinist) were mesmerising.

Maryam Haniff recited an inspiring poem. The National Steel Orchestra greeted patrons with their sensational performance. My collection was displayed by some gorgeous models including Ronda Graham, Dollisa Sookram, Neriza Ramlall, Rochelle Bailey, Shamara Duncan, Samira Duncan and Shenia. Shawn English was the last performer and he always delivers. We had an amazing talent display. I must thank Dr Paloma Mohamed and the staff of the Theatre Guild for their contribution. This fundraiser for the Living with Intention Tour would not have been possible without our other partners. Tower Suites, Spotlight production, Metro, Le Treats Bakery, Impressions, CIDI, Star Party Rentals, Lipton, Pizza Hut, Beacon’s Cafe, Trails and Treasures, Crafted by Chey, Shanta’s Puri Shop and Denmore. The backstage crew and other behind-the-scenes staff that worked hard to make this a success. Cherie Crandon, Raquel Thomas-Caesar, Keisha Phillips,Jo-Ann Forde, Ronda Graham, Rudy Saul Eden Forde, Susana Agustina, Tonette Leacock, Shawn Duncan, Desiree Wyles-Ogle, Sophera Waldron, Racquel Shafiullah and daughters. The pics you see in this article were moments captured by photographer Tremaine Thomas.

I looked around at all the beautifully dressed people from all ethnicities and sensed a feeling of togetherness in this garden. It was great to see some people pinning the LOVE REVOLUTION pin on each other. Visit the Sonia Noel Fb page to view the album.
We live in one of the best countries in the world and we take that for granted. We need to appreciate how special we are as people and appreciate each other and the environment more, as we continue this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.