News Releases

DCFA turns 25 & celebrates with ‘Nation Dance’

For Release Upon Receipt - March 16, 2012

St. Augustine


This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) within the Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine. To celebrate this milestone, the DCFA has planned a series of events throughout the year beginning with the theatrical production, “Nation Dance – The Pilgrimage,” which has its first presentation on Friday 16th March 2012,  at the Naparima Hill, San Fernando, from 7 pm.  

“Nation Dance – The Pilgrimage” is being put on by the students of the Production II class within the Centre. It is a collaborative production between the DCFA and various communities in Trinidad and Tobago and will run on weekends during the period March 16th-April 1st, 2012.

The production, which also celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Trinidad & Tobago’s Independence, is based on the concept of journeying to different communities that have made sacred investments in this country. The DCFA will be partnering with the Elders' Council of the Warao, Karina Community of Arima, Hindu Prachar Kendra of Chaguanas, Culture and Community Development and Division of Culture – Tobago House of Assembly, Northwest Laventille Cultural Performers, Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and Trinidad and Tobago Tassa Association - Bis Hoosay Yard.

Performances of ‘Nation Dance’ will take place at Naparima Hill, San Fernando on March 16th; Temple in the Sea Grounds, Waterloo on March 18th at 5pm; Desperadoes Pan Theatre, Laventille on March 23rd at 7pm; Golden Lane, Tobago on March 24th at 7pm; Pembroke Heritage Park, Tobago on March 25th at 5pm; Calvary Hill, Arima on March 30th at 7pm; and DCFA, UWI on March 31st at 7pm and April 1st at 5pm.

Admission is free for all shows except the two DCFA performances, where the cost for admission is $50 for adults, $30 for UWI students and $20 for children.

In addition to ‘Nation Dance,’ the other events being held this year in celebration of the DCFA’s 25th anniversary include:

·         Percussion Ensembles in Concert – April 1st, 2012

·         UWI Arts Chorale and UWI Steel Tour in Barbados – April 7th-12th, 2012

·         The TH?NK Forum ‘The Value of Culture' – April 20th, 2012

·         UWI Guitar Ensemble in Concert – April 21st, 2012

·         Final year Student Exhibition Degree Programme – April 22nd-28th, 2012

·         Music of the Diaspora – April 28th, 2012

·         Sole to Sole – May 3rd-5th, 2012

·         Final year Student Exhibition Certificate Programme – May 6th-12th, 2012

·         Hairspray – June 29th-30th, July 1st and July 4th-8th, 2012

For further information, please contact the DCFA offices at 663-2222 or 662-2002 ext. 82510 or email Marissa.Brooks@sta.uwi.edu or Louis.McWilliams@sta.uwi.edu.

For the latest UWI News, click http://sta.uwi.edu/news.

About UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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