A golden jubilee of NIFCA winners

The National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) on Sunday evening toasted the island’s top creatives for their outstanding contributions in their respective disciplines as it observes its golden jubilee.

The audience at the Garfield Sobers Complex was treated to steel pan selections by Déjà Vu Steel Orchestra and Mark Forde on entering the Wildey Gymnasium, setting the stage for a memorable evening of celebration and recognition of artistic excellence.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Carol Roberts highlighted the significance of NIFCA 2023 and its first full post-COVID staging. Despite the challenges faced by the cultural industry globally, she praised the resilience of creativity and its ability to provide moments of peace, healing, and joy in uncertain times.

“The entries in all categories across all disciplines epitomise the basic tenets of the festival: the showcase of the creative expressions of Barbadians of all classes, creeds, ethnicities and levels of competence; the continued development of multiple disciplines of the arts; the artistic contribution to national narratives and conversations on local and global topics and situations; the discovery of untapped local talent worthy of further nurturing and development; the production of events in celebration of Barbados Independence and Parliamentary Republic status,” Roberts said.

The Prime Minister’s Scholarship, valued at $35 000, was awarded to Shaunnell Neverson for her dance piece And So We Danse. Neverson also clinched the Prime Minister’s Award for Best Original NIFCA Entry in the dance category and the Richild Springer Scholarship for Choreography. As Neverson is currently studying overseas, her prizes were received by beaming mother Wynelle Neverson.

Other standouts in the dance category were Pearls Dance Academy with the Gene Carson Symbol of Excellence Award. Kemal Marshall, choreographer of the production One More Day under Dreaming Black Boys Productionz, also received multiple awards, including the Business Entrepreneur Prize. Patrons had the opportunity to see their winning pieces.

Shakhouri Thompson emerged as a multiple award winner, receiving a Gold Award for his film Do the Thang, the 50th Anniversary NIFCA  Award and the Business Entrepreneur Prize. Thompson made history as the inaugural recipient of the Erskine Callender Award of Excellence for Filmmaking which has been available for several years but has never been won.

The Christ Church Foundation School Steel Orchestra had an exceptional showing, securing ten awards, including the Arden Clarke Founder’s Trophy, the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA  Award and the James Millington Award of Excellence.

Marlon Legall was honoured with the Cynthia Wilson NIFCA Producer’s Prize as the winner of the NIFCA Music Arrangers Challenge for his striking interpretation of Gabby’s Emmerton. The audience experienced this top-tier arrangement with an appearance by the MLVP Elite Vox. Other NIFCA Music Performers Challenge winners were Keelan Richards, Kaylee Allman, Daniel Harvey and Machaio Carter.

The inaugural Peter Edey Award in Culinary Arts went to Akil Taylor, while the Haynesville Youth Club was the recipient of the Barbados Landship 160th Anniversary Award with The Revival of Barbados National Birthright. Among the awards presented on stage was the NTI Award for an Outstanding Artist with a disability which was presented to the Young Explorers – Paperville Chattel House Village in the visual arts category.

Many were impressed with the impactful delivery of Akeem Chandler-Prescod’s Suicide Bomber which received the Business Entrepreneur Prize, the 50th Anniversary of NIFCA Award in theatre and the Prime Minister’s Award for Best Original NIFCA Entry.

Silver awardees including vocalist ZZ Cumberbatch, saxophonist Nikhyl Burnett, and Ashley Dyall, who delivered a compelling excerpt from her essay, all commanded the audience’s attention with their talent.

Among the other awardees was Barbados TODAY whose Fifty Fit won the NIFCA 2023 Bronze Award for Docuseries.
(STT)