Youlou Arts Foundation Hosts Successful Volcano Festival
The first ever Volcano Festival was a successfully celebratory event. The festival, a Youlou Arts and Vincy Writers collaboration, funded by a Commonwealth Foundation creative grant, took place on Saturday April 5 at The UWI Global Campus, Kingstown. Creatives commemorated La Soufriere through paintings, craft, readings, film, food and music.
The UWI Lecture Hall was the focal point of the festival. It was transformed into an exhibition hall featuring fantastic paintings depicting the 2021 eruption; some showed La Soufriere in full eruption, while others captured the aftermath. The exhibited artists were: Dinks Johnson, Peter Providence, Maxanne Rock, Marc Erdrich, Zenn Punnett, Sean Roache, Camille Musser, Tash Johnson, Clyornique Durrant and Nizinbu Browne. This art exhibition complemented craft displays from Alomma Abea, Adanno, Youlou Arts, Vaness Francis, and Shennika Simmons.
The Master of Ceremonies, Mr Ronnie Daniel, kept the program running smoothly, with segments including:
- A report from Sean Roache, briefing the audience on a ten-part, ‘Power-of-a-Volcano’ workshop series preceding the festival;
- Reading of Shake Keane’s poem Soufriere (79);
- A 4-part film selection of ‘Eruptions and Resilience’, curated by Award-Winning Vincentian film maker, Akley Olton;
- A workshop and discussion session hosted by Vincentian Geologist, Prof. Richard ‘Richie’ Robertson;
- Jaykel Mars’ dramatic presentation of Ralycia Andrews’ winning ‘Volcano Poem’;
- Drumming by the New Dynamic Rhythm Arts and Creative Dance Organization;
- Readings from Maralyn Ballantyne, Natasha Marks and Tammy Toney.
Gaymes bookstore was on hand with books by Vincentian writers, some highlighting La Soufriere. A variety of volcano themed foods were also available at the memorable event; spicy callaloo soup, hot and spicy roti, lava patties, sweet potato pudding, lava tea, lava tarts, lava stones and bottled lava chow.
In her closing remarks, Camille Musser, founder of the Youlou Arts Foundation, shared that she was amazed and inspired by the public support of the festival.
