Charlestown, Nevis
August 21, 2007
For Immediate Public Release
Minister with responsibility for Culture and Trade on Nevis Hon. Hensley Daniel lauded the efforts of a number of small business operators who seized the opportunities provided by the recently concluded Culturama Festival to generate added revenue.
The Minister made the comment on Saturday August 18th at the Cultural Village during prize giving ceremony to winners of the 2007 Cultural Festival.
He said the 2007 cultural festivity from July 27th to August 7th had recorded a greater than usual number of small business operators involved in the sale of food and drinks and he urged them to work closely with the Nevis Island Administration so that more opportunities would be provided for bigger profit margins.
“I want to thank all of the business people for seizing the opportunity to make some money because our government believes that the small business people are the backbone of our economy.“I think you should expect me to say that we should spend some more time marketing Culturama in the Diaspora; you should expect me to say that we should spend some more time putting the cultural component into Culturama; we should also spend some more time adding and insuring that more visitors come to Nevis specifically for Culturama. As I have said repeatedly, Culturama has a greater future than any sugar or banana crop or even tourism and so you should expect me in the years ahead to weave Culturama into our tourism product and your support as we think new ways and means to make the festival bigger and better,” he said.
Mr. Daniel thanked the participants, the voluntary Culturama Committee members and the Culturama Secretariat for the contribution to the success of this year’s festival. He noted that Culturama was the zenith of Nevis’ cultural exposition and it was important to maintain its high standard.
“While we want you interact with other kinds of music, dance and drama, let us never miss the mark with regards to supporting and celebrating our folk music and our folklore. Culturama is a major objective to promote,” he said.
Culturama was born 33 years through the Nevis Dramatic and Culture Society and from 1990 onwards it had been run by government. The festival evolved from 1974 to become big business 33 years after.
“I have to say that we have to continue to manage the festival in such a way that we would have resources to double the prizes and to promote the arts of music, dance and drama so that we would always have an improved Culturama,” he said.