The Department of Culture within the Ministry of Creative Industries will open a free Cultural Characters Workshop to the public this Wednesday afternoon, offering training in some of Antigua's most beloved traditional performance arts.
Events Coordinator Gilbert Laudat says the workshop — the brainchild of Director of Culture Khan Cordice — will train participants in stilt walking (Moko Jumbies) and conch shell blowing, as well as the skills required to portray a traditional Caribbean Clown, John Bull, and Whip Cracker.
The initiative's primary goal is to ensure these cultural traditions are passed down to new generations. "We find that we need more persons — more young persons to be involved in it, to learn about the history behind the characters, and the work involved in building the costumes and piecing together other elements that collectively bring the characters to life," Laudat said.
Interested members of the public can register on-site at the Environment Division. Daily sessions will run from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
The workshop runs from July 8th to July 24th, and officials within the Cultural Development Division are hopeful that the training will translate into a stronger presence of traditional cultural characters during Carnival Monday festivities.
Looking beyond Carnival, Laudat confirmed the programme will continue. "After Carnival, we are going to rest before we start again, so we can bring some Christmas characters into our workshop," he said. Continuous training will also likely be extended to schools across the island.
