Spontaneity seemed to be the underlying theme in The Old Yard 2015. The Department of Creative and Festival Art’s annual showcase of traditional Carnival masquerade and heritage did not disappoint and even caught many of its patrons by surprise this year. New features of a roving musical group performing old calypso melodies with Granny swaying and dancing by Granny’s house was to the delightful surprise of TOY’s younger patrons. And while many looked forward to the annual renditions of the tamboo bamboo in “the middle of the yard,” their continued performance by the backstage entrance thrilled patrons as they exited the venue as TOY 2015 came to an exuberant close.
While performances filled the gayelle in quick succession, sustaining the patrons’ interest, the craft stalls and food booths offered and array local products and cuisine.
The student-centered band, Jouvay Ayiti, took its 2015 theme from the Caricom-led demand for Reparations for Caribbean people. The band title 'ARANDARA PONAHARA: LAND OF THE FIRST PEOPLES' echoes this call in two First Nation languages – the Wai Wai of Guyana and Garifuana of St. Vincent and Central America – for justice, compensation and the return of their ancestral lands.
 Students of the courses 'Critical Readings in Caribbean Arts and Culture' and 'Costume Fabrication' undertook assignments based on this theme of reparations. They researched and presented on 7 pre-Columbian civilizations in the region: Ciboney, Taino, Maya, Warao, Wai Wai, Kalinago, Lokono and the post-Columbian Garifuna.
Workshops were conducted in mas-making and palm-weaving techniques to help students realize their ideas for this mas. Each costume presented therefore was built by its performer with some guidance from tutors and support from the group. These workshops were coordinated by Mr. Lari Richardson and tutored by master-crafts-persons – Kendall de Peaza (wire-bending) Cristo Adonis (weaving), Turunesh Raymond (found materials) and Martin Soverall (cardboard sculpting).
Using the 'areito', the communal dance of Taino peoples, lecturer and Dance Unit Coordinator and Dr. Jorge Morejon choreographed the performance in which students depicted various aspects of the beliefs, customs, myths and history of their Caribbean ancestors. Assisted by calypsonian and Warao descendant Mighty Composer (Fred Mitchell), they wove a traditional Warao chant into their masquerade performance.
Students presented their work in The Old Yard and at Jouvay celebrations in Port of Spain, accompanied by Curepe Scherzando Steelband with other members of the public joining the band.
Subsequent episodes of the Arandara Ponahara narrative will be presented at the Emancipation First Peoples Heritage Festivals later this year.
When asked about the purpose of The Old Yard, Project Director Dr. Jo-anne Tull said that the idea behind the project is to present traditional masquerade forms both performance, costume, character to audiences in an engaging family oriented event that would evoke feelings of nostalgia, happiness, excitement, and a continued love for the carnival traditions.
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