Patrons get another chance to see exceptional NIFCA performances

reative excellence was celebrated with the staging of the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) Performing Arts Gala: Reflections on Sunday.

 

Award-winning Performing and Literary Arts entrants ensured a full night of excitement at the Sir Garfield Sobers Complex. Patrons who may have missed the finals had the opportunity to experience some of the exceptional performances from this season.

 

Opening the presentation was the Haynesville Youth Club, bringing characteristic energy with Tombres De Alba. This drum piece earned them the new NIFCA prize for Intangible Cultural Heritage, Best Small Ensemble and the Silver Award for Most Promising Performance by a Community Group.

 

A common thread in several of the works was the far-reaching impact of gun violence. BPS (Barbados Prison Service) Stars made a plea to Silence the Violence in their silver award-winning piece. Featuring inmates from Dodds Prison, their message was compelling, as they stressed that crime does not pay. The pre-recorded short play quickly dispelled the misconception that prison life is easy, highlighting the impact of being away from your family and having your privileges stripped away. Among the prizes they received were the Most Promising Presentation-Drama and the NIFCA Earl Warner Prize which is awarded to the director of the Most Promising Theatre piece.

 

Wesley Hall Junior School’s dance entry The Cry also tackled the effects of violence. So impactful was their presentation, that it was difficult to believe this was their debut NIFCA entry. Using the lens of the innocent eyes of children, they set the backdrop to the familiar strains of John King’s How Many More? in their silver award-winning entry. Also using this popular track was Kymani Devonish who secured gold with his rendition.

 

The Multifarious Dance Crew, known for their light-hearted presentations, added their perspective to the crime situation with Breakin’ the Cycle, showing a different dimension to their craft. They captured the Madame Ifill Award of Excellence, the highest award in the adult category of dance, and earned multiple nominations for its group members. There was a Boy by Malachi Hope provided a snapshot of the appeal of street life and the consequences of going that way. He received a silver medal and was awarded the Most Promising Presentation-Speech.

 

The exuberance of the primary school entrants excited patrons. In the first half, the students at Cuthbert Moore Primary School gave their perspective on educational reform with their rhythm poetry piece called Transformation. The Cyptones brought their usual animation to their Icons of Calypso performance. Both took home a Silver Award. St Lukes Academy mirrored that same energy when they sang Mama in Bridgetown which won them gold.

 

There were tributes throughout the programme, reflecting on the contribution of cultural practitioners who have recently passed. Among those recognised were Virginia Seely, Tyrone Trotman, Troy Arthur, and Sonia Williams. Homage was paid to Gene Carson Cumberbatch-Lynch by the Efflorescence Dance Collective with the silver award-winning The Butterfly Effect, a reinterpretation of Cumberbatch-Lynch’s classic Metamorphosis.

 

Also showing their skill in the dance category were Barbados Dance Theatre with The Calling. Psalm 91.11 by J.O.Y Productions earned choreographer Ysobel Jones the Richild Springer Award of Excellence for Choreography. Dancin’ Africa highlighted the contribution of the Spiritual Baptist with Passing the Light for which they were awarded the only Junior Gold Award in Dance for 2024.

 

The dramatic piece Under the Street Light by Northern Lights Drama Group brought folklore to life. Group member Kaleah Thompson received a scholarship with the NIFCA Coaching Development Award. Also riveting was Akeem Chandler-Prescod who won the only Gold Award in Theatre with his spoken word piece, Monsters Aren’t Real. This work gained him nominations for the Prime Minister’s Scholarship and the Founder’s Trophy which is awarded for Most Outstanding Performance in the NIFCA Performing Arts Finals.

 

Earning the highest Gold Award in Music was vocal powerhouse Skyy Dowridge, who also captured a Silver Award for her rendition of United in the Caribbean. Also exciting the audience was Alister Alexander, with his silver award-winning Joshua Pow. He earned the Ricky ‘Babu’ Parris Challenge Shield.

 

Attendees heard snippets of what is available in Kaleidoscope, the National Cultural Foundation’s first audio anthology. Those making contributions were Dr Denise Charles with I Saw an Old Man and Kenneth Jack Lewis with Boys Eating.

 

Two-time double gold awardees Christ Church Foundation Steel Orchestra capped off the night with a fantastic presentation of Soca is Life. Mikey’s Obsession, Blessing, Heart of the Party and Brucelee Almightee’s Tomorrow created the perfect denouement.

(STT)