Schools taking part in the Children’s Costume Parade on February 20, are preparing their floats and costumes and a few well-known designers are on hand to assist.
In an interview, Desiree Wyles-Ogle of the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Department said schools have taken the theme for Mashramani, ‘Celebration of Diversity, Unity and Sovereignty,’ and formed their own concepts. She said some schools will depict the diversity of Guyana, celebrations of this year’s fiftieth jubilee, the unification of the people, the wealth of the nation and defending our sovereignty.
Acting Principal Education Officer Immanuel Bridgewater said that some of the Georgetown District children, will be using the sub-theme ‘defending our sovereignty’ with their floats and bands depicting various components of that theme.
“Four schools, Sophia Primary, St Stephens, Comenius Primary and JE Burnham Primary are going to have bands with floats depicting ‘not a blade of grass’, ‘not one blue saki’ and ‘not a drop of water,’” Bridgewater added. Enterprise Primary and Thomas Moore Primary will also be depicting this patriotic theme.
The designers involved include Nelsion Nurse, Maxi Williams and Derek Moore, among others.
Nurse is working with the theme ‘defending our sovereignty’ and was working on a Cuirass fish, and clumps of grass – in keeping with the Dave Martins song “Not a Blade of Grass.” Nurse told this newspaper that he hopes to complete all the costumes by February 17.
Williams on the other hand, has decided to depict the nation’s wealth with his costume calling it ‘Black Gold.’ F E Pollard, Smith’s Memorial and St Peter’s primary schools will be adorned in Williams’s costumes as well as other children who would like to be in his costumes for the parade.
Apart from the colourful costumes and mesmerizing floats the parade is also expected to have its first Marching Band, a Masquerade band and children from different schools playing the steel pan along the route. According to Ogle, this year the ministry has pulled out all the stops and expects a great “participation and a high standard of celebration” for this year’s children’s parade. “Over $5 million has been allocated, just to organize the music, refreshments and the prizes for the different categories, moreover companies have come on board to sponsor the event,” Ogle added.
The parade will start from 10 am at the Parade Ground and will make its way into to the National Park. The ministry has asked for road users who have vehicles to avoid using the designated route for the parade.
