SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2019 – UWI TODAY
7
OUR CAMPUS
Today is that day. Sunday, February 3 2019 is the 29
th
annual UWI Fete
. Widely regarded
as one of the most spectacular all-inclusive events on the Carnival calendar, UWI Fete is also
an example of festival innovation for a worthwhile cause. This year’s theme is
“Champagne
and Gold”.
First held in 1991, UWI Fete sprung from the creative mind of then Campus Principal
(and fourth President of T&T)
Professor George Maxwell Richards
. It is an initiative of
the UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF), created to provide scholarships
and bursaries for high-achieving students, as well as students in need. UWIDEF has given
over 3000 bursaries.
Fete goers at
Champagne and Gold
will enjoy the sounds of
Kes the Band, Dil-E-
Nadan, Nailah Blackman, Patrice Roberts, Voice, the Laventille Rhythm Section
and
the
Newtown Playboys
, as well as
DJ Private Ryan
and
DJ Sean
on the turntables.
The UWI Fete event managers promise an evening of “fun and relaxation” with food
bars featuring some of T&T’s best chefs and restaurants, drink stations, massage rooms, a
beauty bar and oversized regular bars.
The 29
th
annual UWI Fete starts today at noon.
THE FETE TO RULE THEMALL
Ten years ago, traditional mas’ came alive at UWI St Augustine.
The old costumes,
characters and performances from the dawn of Carnival, many of which had become
obscure over the long years, were given new life.
Ten years on, the Department of Creative and Festival Arts’ (DCFA) Old Yard is not
only a beloved event for the Carnival season but also an important teaching tool for the
University, and a living museum for the preservation of masquerade.
On February 24 2019, DCFA will celebrate
Old Yard’s 10
th
anniversary
with an extra
special edition of the Carnival fair entitled,
“A Sense of Home”.
“We see this as something very special,” says Dr Jo-anne Tull, Lecturer and Coordinator
of Carnival Studies at DCFA, and Project Director of Old Yard. “We will really want to give
a showing of ourselves.”
For ten years Dr Tull and her team have done just that, constantly expanding and
improving the traditional Carnival event. In its original form, the Carnival fair that would
become Old Yard was created by Rawle Gibbons, Founding Director of DCFA. Called “Viey
La Cou” (French for Old Yard), it was held in Port of Spain. When UWI agreed to take over
Old Yard it moved to DCFA’s Agostini Street headquarters. Last year was the event’s first
instalment at DCFA’s newGordon Street location which is shared with UWI Open Campus.
It was a success, attracting new participants and spectators. And yes, Old Yard attendees
often become participants. The “Yard” is an immersive experience, drawing people into a
fantasy setting of Trinidad’s Carnival past. Patrons can dance, play and sing along, with the
Carnival characters, some spooky, others flirty, many supernaturally colourful and strange.
They can also enjoy performances from Trinidad and Tobago and the region’s greatest
exponents of traditional masquerade -
Midnight Robber, Moko Jumbie, Pierrot Grenade
, and
Carnival forms from other islands and territories.
Most inspiring of all is that Old Yard is a teaching tool for DCFA’s students in Festival
Management, Production, Performance, Technical Theatre and even Visual Arts. Students
run the show from behind the metaphorical curtain and make up much of the talent on
the “stage” (the entire yard is the stage).
“Old Yard allows us to show the nation and the region how we view the importance of
traditional masquerade,” says Dr Tull. “It’s DCFA’s way of making a contribution to Carnival.”
The Old Yard Programme Director says she wants the 10
th
instalment to also highlight
their relationship with stakeholders such as the National Carnival Commission (NCC) and
the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts. These bodies have over
the years provided financial and infrastructural support for the fair, as well as included it
in their event calendars.
Asked to ponder the legacy of cultural preservation, education and entertainment that
she and her team have created over the last ten years, Dr Tull takes a moment to think,
“That’s an interesting question. I don’t really think about legacy. I think about tomorrow.
I’m thinking about the future of Old Yard”.
“A Sense of Home” takes place from 1:00pm on Sunday, February 24 at DCFA on
Gordon Street in St Augustine.
(Joel Henry)
A DECADE OF MASQUERADE
