THE year is 1990 and the spotlights were lit for the first production of the Mother and Daughter Pageant held on the eve of Mother’s Day at the National Sports Hall.
The pageant has grown much more since that day several decades ago, moving from the Sports Hall to the National Cultural Centre to seat its many supporters.
And now just hours away from the 2024 coronation ceremony, it has become a household name in the world of local pageantry, as each year memories are created and bonds strengthened between mothers and their daughters.
The Mother and Daughter Pageant was founded by former principal and English Language teacher of the Saint Joseph High School, Mrs. Ingrid Fung, and is currently co-produced by her daughter, Dr. Sulan Fung.
Dr. Fung who is a mother herself, recently shared that there are three generations of Fungs who work indefatigably behind the scenes to ensure the success of the pageant each year.
After a successful first production, the pageant was placed on the back burner after the death of a family member and again from 2020 to 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022 under the theme, “Inescapable Spring of Love.”
The pageant promotes family and celebrates the bonds created by each mother and daughter gracing the stage of the National Cultural Centre, and even that bond shared by those families in the audience supporting and cheering for those on stage.
Comparing the first production with recent ones, Dr. Fung shared the changes they’ve made in enhancing the experience attendees of the pageant receive.
“Now, we’ve moved towards technology. Right now as we speak, we have LED screens setting up, and we use a lot of technology and a lot of graphics to bring the show and the stage alive at the National Cultural Centre,” she said.
She related that the aim is to continue to ensure that the culture of fashion, love and pageantry “holds tight” in Guyana.
“Pageantry and fashion designing is one of our number one features in Guyana, so we want to keep that steadfast and collaborate that with familyhood and coming out together for the whole family to enjoy that. So, we will always try to be bigger and better and greater, and we just want to sustain that love in the future.
“We’ve had a sold-out show for as long as I can remember. People are definitely more eager now to be seated in the audience, especially with all the audience giveaways and all the free stuff being given away just before. So the Cultural Centre holds just under 2,000 people, and it can only hold so much and no more, but it’s definitely been a sold-out show for as long as I can remember now,” she added.
This year the pageant is being held under the theme, “Timeless love” and will see 22 pairs of mothers and daughters competing in three categories: the Igloo Junior Category, Libresse Middle Category and the KFC Senior Category.
One lucky member of the audience will also win a return trip to London and a day tour to see the second largest clock in the world, Big Ben.
