Students from various schools on the island, who will participate in the “Youth Mas” during the Carnival Monday Street parade, participated in a Costume Building Workshop which got underway on Tuesday.
The workshop is being held at the Windsor Park Stadium and is being sponsored by the National Bank of Dominica (NDB), in collaboration with the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC).
The activity is in its third year and so far nine schools have registered.
“Basically what we have here is a group comprising of the students who are going to participate in their different activities,” Deputy Chairperson of the Carnival Road Parade Committee, Charlene White-Christian said while addressing a brief opening ceremony. “We have students learning to make head pieces, we have some students doing origami for their floats, we have others learning to make different types of head pieces: butterflies , fruits, vegetables, based on what they are going to portray on Carnival Monday as part of the ‘Youth Mas’,”
According to her, three primary school floats will be on the road. They are from the St Mary’s Primary, Roseau Primary and Pioneer Preparatory.
Three primary school bands have been confirmed, the Convent Preparatory School and San Sauveur Primary and Castle Bruce Primary, while one
secondary school band, the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School, has been confirmed.
“We are trying to get a few other schools on board but as we know it is a little difficult because school started, so some schools are a little reluctant but we are trying our best to get them on board,” she explained.
The students are being assisted by a few art teachers from the schools and Costume Builder, Darnley Guye.
NBD’s Executive Manager of Marketing, Suzanne Piper said despite the challenges the schools have faced for the first term of the school year, “they are making an extra special effort to come out and be part of the Carnival celebrations.”
According to her NBD has supported this aspect of Carnival for several years now and this year is no exception.
“Today, members of the costume buildings Mas Camp are assisting the schools to get ready,” Piper explained.“They will be giving them pointers on the building of costumes and floats so that the schools can go back and create their masterpieces for the Monday street parade.”
Additionally, she noted, “It’s important for all of us to work together to ensure that signature events such as Carnival continue to be staged at a high level.”
This year in addition to supporting the ‘Youth Mas,’ the NBD participated in the opening parade of Carnival with their advertising float and, “this year again we have sponsored the NBD Flag Wavers.”
The company has also sponsored various pageants including, the princess s show, Miss Teen Dominica Pageant, Junior Monarch and has made contributions to village Carnivals.
Meantime, Head of the Costume Builders Mas Camp, Darnley Guye said every year his group look forward to this activity.
“We want to see the tradition of costume building go further and we are so overwhelmed to have them around us,” he said.
He stated further that the activity “helps our Carnival and helps people to know what it takes to be costume builders.”
Teach them to cook,sew,make baskets ,draw ,gardening and more …carnival should be left for older people who know how to do other things in life,teach our children to do things that can help every one in the future,how much does carnival help us and these kids? are we spending our lives dancing and when we get home we have no food on the table,nor in the baskets? carnival is not the best way out for us in dominica ,help our children to make good decisions that the can rely on …to help themselves and their families..
Costume making should be offered to these and all other schools- both primary and secondary- as a course, even if just for 1 term. Good start though.
This is a good activity for these kids and it carries on the future of the Carnival.