One of the key goals of the Tobago Heritage Festival is to remind Tobagonians of their past while sharing those rich traditions with the wider world.
To ensure those stories continue to be told authentically, the THA Division of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries is working to involve younger generations, equipping them to preserve and express the culture through song, dance, drums, and chants.
On Wednesday, dozens of young people showed up at the Belle Garden Community Centre to learn the traditional techniques of song, dance, drums, and chants which are often featured in the Tobago Heritage Festival.
Cultural Officer II from the Division of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries, Jesse Taylor, says the “Ready, Set, Go: Charting A Legacy” initiative is an immersive, hands-on masterclass experience.
“This is really about charting the legacy that supports festival and festival generation, continuity, preservation of the arts, and also for innovation, caters well for our orange economy.”
Mr Taylor believes it is important that the techniques that make the various art forms captivating for the audience are not lost but continue to live on even after the older stalwarts are no longer around.
“There has to be some succession planning. We have to leave it better, and if we can do that, each person teach somebody then we are sure we are going to have a culture that is not just sustainable but has continuance because there is practice, but without the practice and the platform in which we can do so, it is very useless.”
Each drum beat, chant, dance move and song tells the story of Tobago’s colourful past.
After witnessing the enthusiasm from the young people participating in the masterclass, Mr Taylor said he is satisfied that the future of the Tobago Heritage Festival is in good hands.
“I am loving the age group because it reminds me in the 80s, which is where I started at 13, 14, 15. They are still eager to, at this age, competing against all the technological advancements and the social media platforms and everything there, they are still willing to find time for actual traditions, and more importantly, when I see the young men, the boys, playing the drums, young men dancing the dance, learning about the culture, it tells me that they are not lost.”
From this masterclass, the youngsters are expected to join with the various cultural groups around the island to aid in the portrayal of the Tobago Heritage Festival, which runs from July 16th to August 1st.