NIFCA Gala to celebrate 50 years of excellence

After several weeks of exciting, intense and thought-provoking displays of talent, the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) climaxes with a grand celebration of 50 years at Sunday’s NIFCA Performing Arts Gala: Barabajan.

The finale will showcase some award-winning pieces from the best of the best and a theatrical presentation. The marquee event, a production of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), promises to be a night of excellence that will thoroughly entertain Barbadians of all ages when it comes off at the Wildey Gymnasium, at 6 p.m.

Producer of the gala, NCF Theatre Arts Officer Janelle Mitchell expressed pride about the calibre of the programme and the line-up of acts. The gala, which is celebrating NIFCA’s 50th anniversary, will be executed in two parts.

The first half is titled 50 Years of Excellence and will highlight a cadre of the top award-winning pieces from over the festival’s 50 years in dance, music, spoken word, literary arts, and mixed disciplines. Expected to wow are the likes of The Most Honourable Anthony Gabby Carter, Winston Farrell, Adrian Green, Yolande Capandeguy, Jennifer Walker, Dancin’ Africa, Cherie Jones, the Pinelands Creative Workshop and some of this season’s showstoppers.

The second half is called Barabajan and is a full theatrical presentation celebrating the work of the late Barbadian literary giant, Kamau Brathwaite.

The artistic director is Cecily Spencer-Cross while Levi King is the director, musical director is Lowrey Worrell, director of choreography is Olivia Hall and the set designer is Mark Maynard. The cast of talented actors includes Yolanda Capandeguy, Sonia Williams, Janine White, Jennifer Walker, Neil Waithe, Ayele Matthias and Mikhail Prescod.

Urging the public’s support, Mitchell said that based on the level of talent displayed throughout the NIFCA season, patrons can be assured of immense brilliance on Sunday evening.

“This year, we saw a lot of thought-provoking pieces really looking at our culture, mental health, how we process our emotions – that came out of all the performing arts whether that was music, dance or theatre.

“So, I really think that COVID impacted our creativity and it allowed those who maybe never thought about performing to explore their submerged talents. Hence, we saw a lot of first timers entering . . . and it was very good to see them as well as seasoned persons coming out to showcase high levels of talent again,” she said.

Reflecting on NIFCA’s 50 years of excellence, Mitchell contended that the festival’s role in Barbados’ landscape cannot be overstated.

She said: “Where we are heading as we look to include digital media and all these other avenues, it speaks to the development of the arts and where we can head from now.

“This year is very nostalgic; some of everybody has a NIFCA story and this is what is making the festival even more seminal. I think that NIFCA has been extremely pivotal in shaping our creative artists in all the performing arts and other disciplines over the 50 years. Indeed, it has helped to shape our national identity.”

This year several new top awards were introduced across the genres of the NIFCA Performing Arts, including The Emile Straker Award for the best locally written, arranged and performed folk selection; The NIFCA Earl Warner Prize; The Alfred Pragnell Challenge Shield for Acting; The Gene Carson Award of Excellence for the highest scoring junior entry achieving a score of 91 per cent or greater in NIFCA Dance Finals; Barbados Community College Scholarships; and the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA Awards. (PR)