Green Guide to make debut on the Boardwalk this Saturday

ArtsEtc marks the fifth anniversary of its annual Green Readings Saturday, June 9, with an extra special event that sees the official launch of its environmental anthology and a programme packed with open-air readings and music.

The publication, entitled Green Readings: Barbados, The First Five Years [2008-2012], is essentially a guide to the sessions that began back in 2008 at the Cloister Bookstore when the Ministry of the Environment first approached ArtsEtc to stage an event to help raise environmental awareness in an alternative way.

Over 24 literary and other artists have taken part in the annual event since—and the resulting anthology records their performances and green contributions. Some of those artists will be on the Boardwalk in Hastings on Saturday, together with officials from the Ministry of the Environment for the launch of the book.

The ceremony starts at 3:30 p.m. and will be followed by the first Green Reading for 2012. This will feature poet Dana Gilkes, fiction writer Arnold Ward, and former broadcaster Ian Bourne, who will be reading in tribute to his mother, late art critic, poet and journalist Carolle Bourne.

Then, on June 23 at Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve in Holetown, St James, the second Green Reading takes place with a varied bill of visual and spoken word artists, musicians and award-winning writers. These will include Norma Meek, Sheena Rose, Keoma Mallett, and Indrani. There will be performances as usual by a school choir, while poet and novelist Nailah Folami Imoja is MC for both sessions.

ArtsEtc’s founding editors and producers of the event, Linda M. Deane and Robert Edison Sandiford, are encouraged by the direction Green Readings has taken.

“We are increasingly seeing a marriage of artists from different genres on the Green Readings’ platform,” says Deane. “We strongly believe that the arts and artists should be utilized more in getting certain ideas across to the public, and every year we enjoy seeing how the artists we invite complement each other and the exciting ways in which they interpret the various environmental themes. GR12 should be no different.”

The theme for Green Readings 2012 is heritage. This is the theme for the whole of Environment Month, of which the readings are part, and is in keeping with the current activities for the inscription of Historic Bridgetown and her Garrison, also taking place in June.

Sandiford praised the Ministry of the Environment, particularly officers Donna King-Brathwaite and Travis Sinckler, for their continued commitment to working with Barbadian artists.

“Not only is this ArtsEtc’s fifth year straight working with the ministry on Green Readings, the collaboration has led to the production of a stylish 48-page anthology.

“This is a prime example of private/public sector partnering,” he said, “and of the cultural industries in action; of artists being acknowledged and rewarded for their creativity and productivity.”

Green Readings: Barbados, The First Five Years [2008-2012] was designed, produced and printed in Barbados, and is the latest anthology from ArtsEtc under its AE Books imprint. Copies are available from the Ministry of the Environment and Drainage.

ArtsEtc shares the sweets—and the shirts—with Lodge School athletes

ARTSETC is known mainly for its involvement in the arts in Barbados but we love it when we also get to explore the “et cetera” side of what we do.

When the Lodge School announced it was sending two teams to the Penn Relays 2012 in the United States as reward for their performance at inter-school sports in Barbados, and for learning experience, we reckoned it was the perfect scope for such an adventure and jumped at the opportunity to help send the athletes on their way.

ArtsEtc donated long-sleeved T-shirts for the athletes, coaches and accompanying parents to wear in Pennsylvania. The shirts were presented at full school assembly on Monday, the day before the teams travelled. Also at the presentation were fellow sponsors Williams Industries, who sponsored the squad’s polo shirts. (Interestingly, Williams Industries, through its subsidiary Williams Metals, is a former advertising sponsor of ArtsEtc—just one of many supporters that have enabled us, in turn, to extend a helping hand to a worthwhile venture.

And that is exactly how ArtsEtc views the achievements of the Lodge School relay teams. “We were keen to support the boys’—not because they were doing well but because they were working hard, doing something positive and that effort deserves to be encouraged and developed,” said ArtsEtc co-founding editor Linda M. Deane, who presented the shirts to the school.

“Sport has played such a significant role in Barbados’ recent social history. It is part of our cultural heritage and a vibrant and vital part of our contemporary cultural environment, especially at the schools’ level. It is something we, as an arts and cultural company, continue to address artistically. But also, through support of the Lodge School’s track programme, is something we are addressing in a hands-on way, too.”

Penn Relays, an annual event, is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, attracting teams from all over the world. This year it runs from April 27-29. The Lodge School’s nine-man squad left for Pennsylvania on Tuesday, accompanied by coaches Mr. Jamal Grosvenor and Mrs. Anne Hinds-Butcher, and will return May 1.

ArtsEtc wishes them well. Kick it out, boys—and thanks!

 

Above and below:
Mr. John Francis of Williams Industries and Linda M. Deane of ArtsEtc Inc.
 presenting shirts to the teams.

GO LODGE! Back row; l-r: U20 4 x4 squad: Anderson Devonish, Tramaine Maloney, Justin Nicholls, John Haynes. Front row; l-r: John Francis of Williams Industries; U17 4 x 100m squad—Kyle Farrel, Shaquille Nurse, Tamal Atwell, Akeem McCollin, Shaquille Hollingsworth; and Linda M. Deane of ArtsEtc.

 THANKS! Track team captain and Lodge School deputy head-boy Tramaine Maloney receiving his shirt from Mr. John Francis of Williams Industries. Later, he thanked sponsors, including Robert Sandiford and Linda M. Deane of ArtsEtc, on behalf of the team and the school. Acting principal Mr. Vasco Dash and Linda Deane look on. (ArtsEtc would also like to thank the family at MPact/MGrafix
for their kind and timely assistance.)

10 Great Ways to Celebrate World Book Day

TODAY, Thursday, March 1st, 2012 is World Book Day. Here are 10 great ways to celebrate where you are and to show words you love them, too!

1. Curl up with that brand new book, the one you got for Christmas that you haven’t had time to read yet.

2. Read poetry to your loved one in an intimate setting.

3. Donate books to a school or reading programme.

4. Volunteer to read at a school, in your community or on a hospital ward.

5. Get started on the 12 Barbadian titles in ArtsEtc’s recommended reading list. It’s a great place to begin. (See image below.)

6. Start—or finish—writing that book of your own.

7. Support your local author—buy Bajan!

8. Join, or start, a book club.

9. Make a pledge to find 30 minutes in your day, every day (OK, then, at least a couple of days a week!) to read to your child.

10. Join in Days Books’ World Book Day event TODAY from 2 p.m. at their store in Independence Square or catch the celebration live on Starcom VOB.

What are you doing for World Book Day?

Do you plan to curl up with a great book? The new one by Glenville Lovell, perhaps. Are you reading to a loved one or maybe others at a school, in your community or on a hospital ward? Or are you heading on over to Days Books? (Click here for more ideas.)

Today, Thursday, March 1, is World Book Day, and ArtsEtc is very happy to be supporting the bookstore in its first ever event to locally mark the 15-year-old worldwide celebration.

The theme of Days Books’ event is “Read a book, Share a story”, and there is plenty going on at the store in Independence Square tomorrow from about 2 p.m.—storytelling, book signings, the launch of a Days’ new website, and a discussion on the joys and importance of reading to be broadcast live on Starcom VOB radio.

Some of the award-winning Barbadian authors taking part are children’s publisher June Stoute, poets Esther Phillips and Kerry Belgrave, and fantasy novelist Karen Lord.

Karen Austin of Days Books says she is keen to make the event an annual occurrence in Barbados as a way of helping to sensitise Bajans about reading.

“There are events taking place all over the world, in England, Ireland, in the United States. WBD has been going on for 15 years so I thought it was about time Barbados joined in. I have emailed the World Book Day people to let them know about our event and what we’re doing to promote the cause this side of the Atlantic.”

In addition to the in-store activities, Karen promises exciting discounts and giveaways for eager readers and booklovers. Schools and literacy professionals have also been invited.

Sounds like a place to be. Happy WBD!

For more information please check out:

www.daysbookstore.com

www.worldbookday.com

Poet Kerry

Belgrave

Children’s author

and publisher

June Stoute

Poet and educator

Esther Phillips

Novelist

Karen Lord

ArtsEtc’s First Annual Independence Reading List Now Out

Read any good Barbadian books lately?

At the launch of Karen Lord’s Redemption in Indigo last year at Ocean Spray Apartments, a woman Linda and I were chatting with was interested in reading more books by local authors. She was middle-aged and felt she had, as a Bajan, been missing out on what her own writers had to say to her about the world in which we live.

To paraphrase Mavis Gallant, I take it for granted that to talk of Barbadian stories is to talk of stories in a specific context. This woman’s understanding of the need to read stories by writers of her own country suggested, encouragingly, that I wasn’t alone in this thinking.

Her only problem: Where to start?

She required a list; she didn’t know what was available apart from a title or two by Lamming or Callender. And Linda and I were sure there were many others like her, whether Bajan or simply interested in Barbadian literature.

That got us thinking and working.

For this Independence, in collaboration with the University Bookshop, Days Books, the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment, Barbados Today, the National Library Service, and the Barbados Association of Reading, ArtsEtc has come up with 12 Great Books Every Independent Barbadian Should Read, which we’ve run as an ad in Barbados Today and The Barbados Advocate.

Do check it out. It’s obviously not meant to be comprehensive or exhaustive, or academically correct, but it is, we hope, a pleasantly surprising start.

Let us know how you find the books, or what selections you would make for future lists. We intend to do this every year for Barbados’ Independence until the shelves run dry. And, given the activity in Barbadian literature the last decade, and what was produced the previous century, we’re not expecting that to happen anytime soon.

Born free, you say? Then be free.

Read your writers. Enjoy your Independence.

—Robert Edison Sandiford

November 29, 2011

October Tea Reading—nicely brewed!

THERE was such a great vibe at Pelican Village on Saturday.

Writers Ink held its October Tea Reading there at the Barbados Arts Council gallery and you really do get a warm, fuzzy glow surrounded by all that art on the walls and the shared passion for writing. The gallery is proving an ideal space and the fast growing turnout means Writers Ink is going to need more chairs.

Featured readers Christine Barrow and Robert Edison Sandiford really delivered. What was noteworthy is that the former is a writing student of the latter and they both dealt with some dark and difficult themes: Christine entering the mind of a child for one of her pieces about death and loss, and Sandiford examining the moment of death or dying from a number of angles and also sharing some of his erotic prose. Both presented their work with a Samurai’s touch—a huge reward for any audience unafraid of being challenged.

For open mic, many people walked with their 5 lines (or more) on Bridgetown. Among them, Loretta Hackett, Sarah Venable, Ann Hewitt, Susan Mahon and Theo Williams who shared some fine words not to mention unexpected and unique perspectives on our capital city.

A team from Eye on the Arts was there to capture it all, so keep an eye out! And— to steal a line from the Bajan Reporter (we missed you Ian!)—all of Barbados is invited to the next Tea Reading when the open mic theme(s) will be “The Sea, Food, Love.” Plenty of room in which to brew some Independence spirit!

• The Tea Readings are staged by Writers Ink the last Saturday of every month.—LMD

Wor(l)dbuilding at Barbados’ AnimeKon 2011

Fans of AnimeKon are very serious about their science fiction. This dude with the huge and heavy sword is based on the character "Cloud" from the animated feature/video game Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children.

From left: Robert Sandiford, Karen Lord and Tobias Buckell shared their experiences of creating Fantasy in a Caribbean setting with a large audience and moderator Andre Harewood (extreme right) at AnimeKon 2011.

Shiver me timbers! Cosplay (short for costume play) was a major part of AnimeKon 2011 held July 2 & 3 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Barbados. In this pause at a videogame booth, here's a young girl who's obviously a fan of Johnny Depp & Pirates Of The Caribbean.

JUST coming down from AnimeKon 2011, Barbados’ comic book, animation, gaming, multi-media…well, it’s a so-much-of-everything kind of convention, and the only pop culture convention in the region, that to sum it up seems a little unfair.

Many thanks to Omar Kennedy and Melissa Young for keeping the two-day event tight, and for inviting me onto a panel to discuss speculative fiction from a Caribbean perspective with US-based Tobias S. Buckell (Crystal Rain) and Barbados’ own fantasy author Karen Lord (Redemption in Indigo).

The tag lines are merely for identification purposes. I’m probably known as a realist or true-to life writer who has made some forays into comic-book flavoured storytelling (I like the notion of alternate realities) as well as graphic novels (Great Moves), but what we discussed—and what the people in the audience wanted to know—was how to create convincing worlds and characters, how to write beautiful and believable stories.

Regardless the genre, we all agreed the process is pretty much the same. Tobias is wonderful at worldbuilding (with many references to the Caribbean of his youth!); Crystal Rain contains maps that help situate the reader in his story.

A fantasy-sci-fi thing? Not quite. A creative writing student of mine, currently producing linked stories about very everyday Caribbean people (with, perhaps, a tinge of the magical—we can’t seem to get away from it in our fiction), has mapped out the community her characters inhabit, undiscovered country and all.

Karen’s Redemption in Indigo is based loosely on a Senegalese folktale. She essentially starts with the known world, as I often do, then goes about uncovering what lies beneath it and above it and in-between to enchanting and disturbing effect.

The thing with writing is to remain open to discovery, especially that of your characters, and not get lost in your own inventions. As one audience member semi-joked, “It’s not the number of ideas I get that’s the problem, it’s knowing which ones are worth pursuing and which ones are simply junk.”

- Robert Edison Sandiford

July 4

Robert Edison Sandiford is a co-founding editor of ArtsEtc.

(Photos courtesy Ian D. Bourne /The Bajan Reporter)