Event Lineup For 2013 Heritage Month Released
Minister of Community and Cultural Development Wayne Scott provided details on the upcoming events for Heritage Month which he said have been organized to “draw attention to the diversity and contributions of our people and the natural beauty of our island home.”
The Heritage Month programme begins with an exhibition depicting works by Bermuda’s artists, which opens on Friday 26th April and will continue until May 15th. On Friday May 3rd there will be a free concert at 5:30pm in the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery which will feature a variety of local entertainers including Wendell “Shine” Hayward, the St. James Drama Group and rhythmic Steel Pan Player James Martinez.
On Sunday May 5th celebrations will make their way east, with an event in St George’s that will feature horse and buggy rides, performances by the St. David’s Island Native Dancers, samples of fish chowder and more. On Sunday May 19th there will be a concert in the “Keep” of the National Museum in Dockyard, and of course the highlight of Heritage Month will be the Bermuda Day Parade/
Minister Scott’s full statement follows below:
Good Day Everyone…
The theme for Heritage Month this year is “The Colours, Sights and Sounds of Bermuda”. Each year the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, with the active engagement and support of the Heritage Advisory Committee, selects a theme for the month of May that guides the programmes and activities for Heritage Month. Through this theme, events are planned that depict aspects of our collective cultural heritage. We have events that will take place throughout the entire island.
Programmes have been organized that draw attention to the diversity and contributions of our people; the natural beauty of our island home; the distinctiveness of our architecture; and the variety of music enjoyed by our people – music that has been influenced by our connections with our Caribbean, British, West African and Azorean ancestors.
The natural beauty of our island has over the centuries captivated and intrigued many visual artists; challenging them to recreate on canvass what they see with their natural eye, and develop a work of art in response to their creative imagination. Thus it is fitting that our Heritage Month programme begins with an exhibition depicting works by Bermuda’s artists. This exhibition will be featured at the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery, City Hall. The “Opening Night” is Friday 26th April; and the exhibition will continue until May 15th. Everyone is welcome to come and view this exciting exhibition of colour.
Come out on Friday May 3rd and enjoy performances from a variety of Bermuda’s talented of entertainers including the soulful saxophonist Wendell “Shine” Hayward, the delightful and hilarious St. James Drama Group and the rhythmic Steel Pan Player Mr. James Martinez. This concert, free to the public, will begin at 5:30pm in the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery. This event provides another opportunity to again view the art exhibition that will still remain on display in the Gallery until May 15th.
We Bermudians are very proud of the fact that St. George’s is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; and against the backdrop of “old world” charm, there will be a beautiful display of flowers and fauna. St. George’s in Bloom is the focal point of this event. Stores, restaurants and streets will all display beautiful floral arrangements on Sunday May 5th. During this particular afternoon there will be many exciting activities that can be enjoyed by the entire family such as the fun horse and buggy rides; performances by the St. David’s Island Native Dancers; and sampling delicious fish chowder. There will be a fun castle for the children as well. These and other activities will start at 3:00pm; so come on down to St. George’s on May 5th and experience the town in full bloom. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs is most grateful to the members of the Events Committee of St. George’s who have worked in partnership with us to make this day a success.
There will be a smorgasbord board of entertainment on Sunday May 19th in the “Keep” of the National Museum of Bermuda located in the Dockyard. The Concert in the Keep begins at 3:00pm and will not only feature some of our wonderful local musicians, but it will also provide an opportunity for people to watch the plaiting of the May Pole; hear the drumming of the Sandys Middle School Showtime Marching Band. The Queen’s Hall of The National Museum will be open as well for those wanting to meander along and view recent interesting historical exhibits. Come; and bring the entire family to this “cultural jam”!
The climax of our Heritage Month programme is the ever popular and much loved Bermuda Day Parade – an event that holds a very special place in our hearts! The Parade, as has been the custom, will use the same heritage Month theme – “The Colours, Sights and Sounds of Bermuda”; and will feature beautifully creative floats; the pulsating rhythms of Gombey dancers and other dance groups; the spectacular performances of majorette groups and the energy and enthusiasm of all participants.
Throughout Heritage Month, as we celebrate our natural beauty, the sounds unique to Bermuda and the beautiful, breathtaking colours of our environment – the aqua marine waters, the pink sandy beaches and the vibrancy of our flora and fauna – let us also appreciate the beauty of Bermudians as a people: Beauty, that is displayed in our friendliness and our neighbourliness; beauty that is shown in the way we greet each other; and beauty, that is demonstrated by how we respectfully treat each other. As we celebrate our collective heritage and traditions let us be mindful of this beauty and commit to demonstrating it throughout the year.
Thank you.
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