Emma E. Cooper Primary School Students Perform for Arts Festival Adjudications

PALMETTO POINT, Eleuthera -- Students at the Emma E. Cooper Primary School in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, take to the air during a dance at the E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival adjudications, Tuesday, March 2, 2010.  (Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture photo/Eric Rose)

The Department of Culture of the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture announced  in an earlier release that the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival is now under way. The Festival is now celebrating its fiftieth year of existence.

The Adjudicators for 2009 are:

Choral and Instrumental Music – Mrs. Audrey Dean-Wright: Composer, Singer, Choral Conductor, Lecturer, Poet. Mrs Wright was born in Nassau, Bahamas. Mrs Wright’s educational background is extensive it includes being educated at the following institutions: Bahamas Academy of Seventh-day Adventists, Nassau, Bahamas 1967-High School Diploma Jamaica School of Music, Kingston, Jamaica 1970-71-Studies in Music Recipient of Bahamas Government Scholarship to Manhattan School of Music, Manhattan, New York. 1973-1977-B. A. Music Degree ( Voice) Recipient of The College of the Bahamas In-Service Award to Manhattan School of Music, New York 1981-1982-Masters of Music Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Early piano studies with Muriel Mallory In depth study of music and piano skills with mentor, Mr. E. Clement Bethel. Also studied piano with Meta Davis-Cumberbatch.

Dance: Mrs. Dereka Deleavuax - Grant: She has certificates in Music and Dance, from Trinity College of Music, The Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Academy of Dance. She is a trained teacher and has a Master of Arts Management degree from Columbia College Chicago. She has taught and worked for such companies as Music Theatre Workshop in Chicago, Illinois, New York Offstage in New York, and Malone Studios in Nashville Tennessee.

Drama: Mr. James Catalyn: Mr. Catalyn studied drama at De’ Paul University in Chicago, Illinois. Bahamian culture has been brought to the forefront by the prolific writing of James Catalyn whose works have been performed on stage, radio and throughout the islands of the Bahamas. James and his friends have also had the good fortune to represent The Bahamas internationally in New Zealand, Trinidad, and Bermuda and at the United Nations in New York City. James’ insistence that we speak “Bahamianese” have made many of us more aware of the beauty and uniqueness of Bahamian dialect, and in his writings and performances, he accentuates the beauty of our language, while encouraging us to be proud of this aspect of our culture.

Arts & Crafts: Mr. Eddie Minnis: He was educated at St. John's College and government high school in Nassau. He graduated from McGill University, Montreal Canada, in 1971 with a B.Sc.. Degree in Architecture. Eddie is a self-taught artist. He has worked in a number of mediums including ink, water colours and pastels, but now specializes in oil painting with the palette knife. Eddies paintings are strikingly three- dimensional in appearance and vibrate with the bright colour and light of the Bahamas. Mr. Minnis held one man shows in 1969, 1972, 1976 and 1986. He has participated in numerous group shows, both locally and abroad. His paintings are in private collections in many parts of the world including the USA, Britain, Australia, Canada and Korea.



The dates for the Festival are as follows:

New Providence

Dance Adjudications March 16 – 19, 2009
Drama Adjudications March 23 – 27, 2009
Music Adjudications March 23 - 27, 2009
Arts & Crafts Adjudications April 27, 2009

Grand Bahama

Dance Adjudications March 20, 2009
Drama Adjudications March 16 - 20 2009
Music Adjudications March 16 - 20 2009
Arts & Crafts Adjudications March 20, 2009

Closing date for all dance, music and drama entries is February 27, 2009.
Closing date for Arts and Crafts entries from New Providence and Grand Bahama is also February 27, 2009.
Late entries will be received no later than March 4, 2009 from New Providence and Grand Bahama entrants.

Closing date for all other Family islands entries is March 20, 2009
Contact Person: Mrs. Monique Leary 351-1933 - work  352-7177 – fax

Mrs. Alisa Robinson 373-8750-2 – work Arts & Craft 373-8740 - fax


Family Islands

Adjudication dates for all Family Islands commence March to May, 2009.
Closing date for Family Islands is March 20, 2009