And so, Cayman Arts Festival, we come to the end of our time together (for 2012 at least).
But wait! There is still one final night we can spend in each other’s company and it will indeed be the culmination of all beauty created.
Yes, A Big Song and Dance is happening at Pedro St. James on Saturday, 18 February and it brings together the youngsters of Cayman with true international talent.
“This is unprecedented in Cayman,” said Glen Inanga, festival director.
“Over 400 committed primary and high school singers taking the stage under the direction of a world class children’s choir specialist – need I say more?”
At the concert, massed choirs from primary and high schools, local dance students and Butterfield Young Musicians of the Year showcase the young talent of Cayman with guest musical director Ronald Corp.
Conductor, composer, writer and educator Mr. Corp leads this celebration of local excellence, featuring choirs from most of our primary and secondary schools, local dance talent and Butterfield Young Musician of the Year winners. This is a special opportunity for youngsters to experience the thrill of performing en masse, and for the audience to share that joy in an outdoor picnic setting in this Butterfield-sponsored event.
There is also the debut performance of a new work based on The Sassy Sea Creature, a poem written by Cayman’s Kimberly Eccleston.
Mr. Inanga said the Arts Festival is becoming ‘inundated’ with requests from new international artists waiting to perform in the festival. He said it’s a humbling endorsement.
“Cayman is already on the international festival circuit and will continue to make waves as it goes from strength to strength. We are still some way from becoming recognized as an arts-friendly place as we still do not have a purpose-built performing arts centre,” he said. “Artists are desperate to come back. They rate their experience here as being amongst the best they have received.”
Unique festival
Collaborations between local and visiting performers are inspiring youth to crave artistic excellence, he adds, and creating opportunities for this to happen is what makes Cayman Arts Festival unique.
“I am deeply passionate about the role young people play in the future of any society and young people in the performing arts are key players in this regard,” Mr. Inanga said. “The festival has become increasingly focused on the various ways in which young people can play a significant part very much in keeping with the fact that the festival is primarily about education.
“It is almost impossible to measure the incredible benefits this festival provides for the community here in the Cayman Islands. The festival has become way bigger than the sum of its various parts and from Education to Tourism, the festival is firmly on the international cultural map judging from the several requests we get from potential visitors to the island (who are interested in coming here for the festival) and the feedback from the students that have been exposed to the several educational programmes.” And so the curtain comes down on another successful festival for arts in Cayman. For Mr. Inanga and the organisers, planning Cayman Arts Festival 2014 starts here.
If you go
Family Ticket (two adults and two children) Online: CI$50/US$62.50 at caymanboxoffice.com
At the door: CI$55
Adults Online: CI$30/US$37.50 at caymanboxoffice.com
At the door: CI$35
Children younger than 16 Online: CI$10/US$12.50 at caymanboxoffice.com
At the door: CI$15
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