The Guyana Cultural Association of New York (GCA) is collaborating with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in the 10th annual symposium at the Guyana Folk Festival to preserve the heritage of Masquerade Arts in Guyana.
Speaking in a recent press conference in the boardroom of the ministry on Wednesday, Minister Frank Anthony said that masquerading had become a nuisance to the public instead of being treated as an art form with a legacy and history. He said masquerade bands that parade during the Christmas season demonstrating their passion for masquerading are treated by civilians as a nuisance for obstructing traffic and are stigmatised for the “fine change” they request.
“The workshops would help us to build our appreciation for masquerading and to see it as something integral to our culture as Guyanese,” the minister said, noting that