Students of music, dance and the culinary arts will have their skills fine-tuned via a series of educational workshops.
On the heels of the start of the region’s most keenly-anticipated entertainment spectacle—the 2015 Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival—the last of the core components, the educational segment, has been launched.
The educational segment plays a critical role in advancing the legacy of learning imbued within the 24-year-old event.
As residents, returning nationals, regional and international visitors await eleven days of musical and artistic bliss; the island’s up-and-coming musicians, dancers and culinary arts apprentices will have their skills fine-tuned via a series of educational workshops.
Speaking on the array of activities included in this year’s festival, Director of Tourism, Louis Lewis, said: “The Saint Lucia Tourist Board has worked feverishly to produce an event that showcases the fun side of musical entertainment, as well as the educational aspect with the inclusion of the culinary arts, dance and music.”
In one component of the educational segment, fourth form students enrolled at the Soufriere Comprehensive and Choiseul secondary schools will engage in a culinary arts workshop on Tuesday, May 5. The students will enhance their culinary skills and techniques under the watchful eye of award winning chefs, Elijah Jules and Sherma Peter, both operating from the world renowned hotel resort and spa, Jade Mountain.
Chef Elijah, a former sous chef and captain of Saint Lucia’s culinary team, is a Chef de Cuisine at Jade Mountain. Chef Eli is famous for putting his own twist on Saint Lucia’s traditional dish “green bananas and saltfish,” which earned him the runner up position at the San Pellegrino Cooking Cup held in April this year in Antigua. He is expected to share with the students kitchen safety practices, sanitization methods, cooking techniques and raw fish preparation demonstrations based on food science.
Pastry Chef Sherma is the national pastry chef champion. An esteemed judge for Saint Lucia’s first NRDF Independence Cake Challenge, she is also part of the culinary team for the 2014 “Taste of the Caribbean” Competition held in Miami. Chef Sherma will be sharing her knowledge on the art of cake design.
Another element of the educational segment is the dance component of the festival. Dance workshops, consisting of lectures and 3-hour dance sessions, will be held from Monday, May 11 to Friday, May 15 for students and teachers from secondary schools across the island. The dance workshops are facilitated by Kerry Ann Henry, Director of the Edna Manley School of Dance and College of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. Ms. Henry, a well-known dance teacher who holds a Masters degree in Theatre and Development from the University of East Anglia in the UK, is a trained dancer in techniques ranging from modern dance, to Afro-Haitian and jazz. She is a resident judge for the television dance competition in Jamaica, “Dancin’ Dynamites”, and sits on the panel of judges as an adjudicator for the Jamaica Cultural Development Competition for National Dance Festivals and Competitions.
The musical component of the festival runs from May 6 – 7 and then again from May 10 – 11. In the first instance, close to 150 students associated with the St. Lucia School of Music will hone their skills via an interactive session staged at the Music Box in Rodney Bay. The session will be facilitated by visiting artist Miguel Siso via the Venezuelan Embassy. Another musical workshop staged at the National Cultural Center and facilitated by self-taught master pianist Allain Jn. Marie, will group anywhere from 200 – 500 primary and secondary school students aged 8 to 15.
On May 10, the St. Lucia School of Music will again grace the side stage at Pigeon Island. The students will perform during the changeover periods of the main stage in three 30-minute sets.
Meanwhile, the day after the festival climaxes, the final music workshop will take place at the School of Music with renowned Barbadian Saxophonist Arturo Tappin. Approximately 15 students will participate, and receive tips and techniques on jazz improvisation.
It is anticipated that participants will benefit tremendously from the first hand knowledge imparted via the workshops, which will lead to an improvement in their craft.