DOMFESTA 2017 gets underway

The Dominica Festival of Arts (DOMFESTA) got underway on Wednesday, May 3, with an opening ceremony at the Old Mill Cultural during which the second edition of a magazine on Kalinago Heritage was released.

Kalinago Heritage Vol. 2 covers various aspects of Kalinago heritage including architecture, language, cuisine, carnival and education. Copies of the magazine will be presented to schools and libraries of the Kalinago Territory.

On Saturday May 6, the focus moves to Portsmouth for a Jazz and Open Mic session at the Purple Turtle Beach Club featuring Ti Orkest and local poets and rap artists.

Other highlights include the launching of a National Art Gallery at the Old Mill Cultural Centre on May 8, Lyrics Under the Stars poetry evening at the Alliance Francaise on May 11, Who’s the Boss, a play by New Dimension Theatre, on May 13-14 and the Kweyol Spelling Bee Competition on May 17 at the Arawak House of Culture.

The Dominica Institute for the Arts End of School Year Concert at the Arawak House of Culture on May 19 and the Choral Cocktail Concert by the Sisserou Singers on May 20 at the Fort Young Hotel make up the concert element of the Festival. The Cultural Industries take the spotlight on May 26 with an Information Fair at the Windsor Park Stadium.

The African element of Dominica’s cultural heritage will be highlighted during Africa Week scheduled for May 19-25. This includes Africa Dress Day scheduled for May 19 and an African Cuisine competition on May 24. Africa Dress Day features an African Fashion Show at the Harlem Plaza and persons are encouraged to wear African style clothing that day.

DOMFESTA 2017 also includes an international dimension with an International Fiesta carded for May 27 at the Old Mill Cultural Centre. The Fiesta will feature art, cuisine, music, film and fashion of West Africa, France, China, Cuba and Venezuela among others. Added to this, the Alliance Francaise de la Dominique will present a puppet show at the Arawak House of Culture on May 31.

The show entitled Unis Vers l’Unvers is co-produced by the Compagnie Zig Zag and L’Autre Bord Compagnie and has a focus on nature and the environment. The international dimension to DOMFESTA is aimed at exposing the Dominican population to the cultures of other countries and particularly that of countries with a significant presence in Dominica.

DOMFESTA is an annual festival hosted by the Cultural Division and the National Cultural Council and is held in May with a focus on the contemporary arts. DOMFESTA comprises of events organized by various cultural associations and institutions as well as those organized by the Cultural Division and the National Cultural Council.

The main highlights of DOMFESTA 2017 are:

-OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF DOMFESTA 2017 & LAUNCHING OF HERITAGE OF THE KALINAGO PEOPLE Vol.2, May 3, Old Mill Cultural Centre, 10:00am
Heritage of the Kalinago People Vol.2 is a magazine with articles on various aspects of the Kalinago culture and heritage including architecture, education, carnival, craft, cuisine, cassava production, traditional sports, ritual baths and places of interest. It complements Heritage of the Kalinago People Vol.1 and is a useful resource for schools and the general public.
-JAZZ AND OPEN MIC, May 6, Purple Turtle Beach Club 5:00pm
Jazz and Open Mic brought to you by The Portsmouth City Council, the Purple Turtle Beach Club and the Cultural Division is a mix of song, poetry, comedy and creole jazz in a beach setting featuring Ti Orkest and singers and poets from Portsmouth and surrounding communities.

-LAUNCHING OF THE NATIONAL ART GALLERY, May 8, Old Mill Cultural Centre
The National Art Gallery housed at the Old Mill Cultural Centre will be launched officially on May 8. The Gallery will serve as a permanent exhibition space for local art. Curated by top Dominican artist Earl Etienne, the Gallery will display works by local artists and visiting regional and international artists.

-LYRICS UNDER THE STARS: May 11 Alliance Francaise, 7:00pm
Lyrics under the Stars is a poetry concert produced by Shawna Johnson. Join local poets as they present poetry in a range of styles and comment on social issues and human relationships in an intimate atmosphere at the Alliance Francaise.

-WHO’S THE BOSS, a play by New Dimension Theatre, May 13-14, Arawak House of Culture, 8:00pm.
Who’s the Boss is the latest play served up by the New Dimension Theatre. Written and directed by Steve Hyacinth. the play revolves around the Manager of a firm Mr. Parker Ben, who after the death of his half-brother by mother, took over the ownership of the business and adopted an ‘I am the boss’ approach to management. His modus operandi is embedded in his attitude, leadership style, greed, selfish desires and ambitions which put him in conflict with himself and others. The story is fascinating and exciting, the plot is intriguing and the climax is amazing. With a cast of eight skillful performers, it’s a thriller from beginning to end. Don’t miss it.

-KWEYOL SPELLING BEE, May 17, Arawak House of Culture, 10:00am
Kweyol Spelling Bee, organized by the Konmite Pou Etid Kweyol (KEK), is an annual spelling competition in Kweyol for primary schools. Preliminaries will take place in eleven zones on the island on May 10. The finalists will then compete for the top places at the Arawak House of Culture on May 17.

-DIFA END OF SCHOOL YEAR CONCERT, May 19, Arawak House of Culture, 5:00pm
The Dominica Institute for the Arts (DIFA) presents its end of school year concert at the Arawak House of Culture featuring performances by participants in various courses including dance, music and choral music.

-AFRICA WEEK May 19-25
Africa Week is a celebration of African culture and an expression of pan-African solidarity featuring educational, cultural and sporting events. Main highlights include African Dress Day (May 19), Art and Craft Fair all week, Africa Knowledge Quiz (May 22), Symposium on Cannabis (May 23), African Cuisine Competition and Cultural Evening (May 24) Solidarity March and Rally (May 25).

-BEATS & BITES, A CHORAL COCKTAIL CONCERT, May 20, Fort Young Hotel, 6:30pm
The Sisserou Singers presents its latest choral offerings dubbed Beats and Bites at special concert in a cocktail setting at the Fort Young Hotel.

-CULTURAL INDUSTRIES INFORMATION FAIR, May 26 ,Windsor Park Sports Stadium, 10:00am – 5:00pm
The Fair focuses on the sharing of information on programmes targeting the cultural industries sector via multi-media presentations and consultations. It is an opportunity for musicians, artists and small businesses in the cultural industries sector to obtain information on financing, copyright, training, promotion and marketing available locally and beyond.

-INTERNATIONAL FIESTA, May 27, Old Mill Cultural Centre, 5:00 pm
International Fiesta is a celebration of the art, dance, fashion, music, film and cuisine of France and the French Caribbean, Cuba, Venezuela, China and the African Continent among others. It is an opportunity to sample various types of food and drink and get to know about the culture of these countries and interact with nationals of these countries who reside in Dominica. It is a free event and takes place at the Old Mill Cultural Centre.

-UNIS VERS L’UNIVERS, Arawak House of Culture, May 31, 6:00pm
This event is a puppet show about nature and the environment co- produced by the Compagnie Zig Zag and L’Autre Bord Compagnie and presented by the Alliance Francaise de la Dominique and will be held at the Arawak House of Culture.