Festivals Commission in talks with Emancipation Watch Night organisers to boost younger interest in event

Amidst the revelry and pageantry, Minister of Creative Industries Daryll Matthew and Chair of the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, Elizabeth Makhoul have outlined their intention to boost the local interest in the Emancipation Day watch night activity this year.

The Emancipation Day serves as the primary reason why Carnival is often celebrated as a reminder of our history and ancestors’ freedom from slavery.

“Very often, Carnival gets lost in the feteing, the revelry and the pageantry but the real reason for our Carnival gets lost in the message and the reason why we even celebrate Carnival,” Matthew told those gathered.

While the Watch Night activity has been officially named as part of this year’s Carnival calendar of events, questions remain over how to boost attendance at the event, especially among younger audiences.

Makhoul confirmed that she and her team has been in talks with organisers of the Watch Night to discuss strategies.

We are in talks in, incorporating some more modern activations to get younger persons involved and bring more awareness and more participation,” she said, adding that plans include having Watch Night participants take part in the Carnival Day parade as well.

The discussion about the history and culture of Carnival was further discussed when questions were raised over the limited support cultural wear, costumes and bands have been receiving over recent years, in favour of the bikini style wear.

Deputy Chair of the Festivals Commission, Senator Michael Freeland acknowledged that supply and demand was at the heart of its decline, with the cost of producing traditional costumes now exceeding what most bandleaders could recover.

“Back in the day, there are people who built costumes for the love of it. You can’t get nobody to build masks for love,” Senator Freeland said.

The three officials noted that the Commission already subsidises and, in many cases, fully pays for traditional costumes in schools.

The Minister also referenced a pre-COVID proposal to designate Carnival Monday as a cultural day, with heavier judging weight for bands presenting traditional elements.

“That Monday [was to] have a much heavier rating so that it encourages a band, and it gives the opportunity for a band that may just be a traditional band to actually be band of the year,” he said, adding that the idea was scrapped after it proved unsuccessful.